Legacy
by Leni-H50
Summary: The year is 2016 and Steve makes a discovery that will change his life. Every action has a consequence. Steve/ Catherine/ OC - Romance/Drama/Angst/Violence.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I do not own anything Five O_**

**_Reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you._**

The 5-O Team stood outside the door with their guns drawn. With his fingers Steve showed 1 –2 -3, he raised his leg and kicked in the door. The team immediately scattered throughout the house.

"_Clear!_" Shouted Steve

"_Clear!_" Shouted Danny

"_Clear_!" Shouted Chin

"_All clear here too!"_ Shouted Kono

"_It looks like they knew we were coming, call HPD and have them process the place. It's obvious they left in a hurry; maybe they left something behind that can help us track them to the source." _Instructed Steve.

"_I just can't believe a Meth lab was operating in a nice neighborhood like this._" Kono questioned

"_This is where we've been finding them lately. They think they can hide better in a nice middle class neighborhood. Fortunately for HPD the Neighborhood Crime Watch usually call us with suspicions. That's how we bust most of them."_ Explained Chin

The team stood outside the house waiting for HPD to show up and secure the residence. They stood outside, leaning against the vehicles discussing what was for lunch.

"_How about Chinese?"_ Asked Chin

"_No, I feel like pizza"_ said Danny, "_but no fruit, you hear me Steve, no fruit. Steve? Steve? Are you listening?"_

Steve's eyes were staring into the park that was directly across the street. He had gone into a trance.

"_It can't be, can it? I'll be right back guys."_ Steve did not wait for a response he just crossed the street and continued to walk into the park. It was a beautiful day. The sun was reflecting off the dew that covered the green grass. Couples were lying on the ground, enjoying the sun and each other's company. He crossed the playground where dozens of children laughed and played. Mothers slowly walked the paths pushing strollers. He walked directly towards a park bench, a bench where there sat a beautiful brunette, reading a book and occasionally looking up towards the playground. Her long black hair blew in the wind occasionally cascading across her face. She was a vision. He always saw her as a natural beauty. She was just as pretty with no makeup, as she was fully made up. She looked just as good in combat fatigues, as she did in a formal dress. He paused and debated if it was a good idea to approach. _"Maybe I should just forget about it?"_ He thought. _"It's been almost 6 years. Six years since everything fell apart. I am finally getting back to normal, why do I want to dig up old skeletons?"_ Just as he had made the decision to walk away, she looked up and their eyes met. "_It's too late now I have to go talk to her."_ He thought.

He took a deep breath and approached closer.

"_Cat. How are you? You look great, you haven't changed at all"_ he said sheepishly

"_Thanks… I am fine_." She answered. She had noticed that he had changed. His hair was salt and pepper in color and the curl was gone. His faced looked tired and worn. She had known that the past few years had been rough on him, but the visual effects were still surprising to her. _"What are you doing here?"_

"_We just raided the house across the street. It was a meth lab" _he answered matter of fact.

"_Yes, we kind of suspected as much_." She responded, not surprised at all.

"_Do you live around here?"_ he asked

Avoiding the question she asked again "_what do you want Steven?"_

"_Nothing I noticed you sitting here and I just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing"_

"_Well, I am doing just fine, so I think you should go back to your friends now." _She responded coldly, nodding in the direction of the team.

"_I can take a hint; it was really good to see you."_ He could clearly see that she was still holding a grudge against him. He slowly and regretfully began to walk away.

"_Mommy, mommy, did you see?"_ a little boy with dark curly hair and grey blue eyes came running toward her "_I made it across the monkey bars all by myself!"_

"_That's great Johnny, I am so proud of you_" she hugged the little boy and starred at Steve with a look of panic.

He stared back in shock, his eyes squinting. At that moment, his phone rang. "_Ok, I'm coming now_" He looked at Cat and the boy, one last time and ran to where Danny and the rest of the team waited.

"_Babe, I hate to break up your little reunion, but we got to go, we have a hot lead on the guys that rented this place. Steve, are you listening? What is up with you?" _Danny prodded.

"_Nothing, let's go_" he ordered.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you so much for the Alerts and Favorites. I was amazed and humbled by the response. I love and encourage the reviews and welcome them. I am always open to ideas and suggestions. I have no idea where this story will go but the first few chapters will be sort of an introduction to this "family".**_

"_Ok, we've been driving for 15 minutes and you haven't said a word. You didn't even try to drive. What happened back there?"_ Danny asked

Steve hesitated and then spoke _"She has a kid Danny. A kid. A kid that looks about 5 years old, Danny. Do you know what that means Danny? _There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"_Are you fucking kidding me? And you just walked away? What the hell are you thinking? You fucked it up with her once, and regretted it ever since. Why would you just walk away again?"_ Danny scolded him like a child.

"_I don't know. I froze; I guess it didn't fully register until now_." He said

Danny put the lights and sirens on, made a U-Turn and headed towards Steve's house.

"_Where are you going?"_ asked Steve

"_I am taking you home, to get your car, and you are going back to find Catherine. You need to really talk to her. You need to find out if it's your kid"_

"_What if she's married? It's been almost 6_ _years_." Steve questioned

"_You need answers, go talk to her. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Don't you have enough regrets in your life?" _

"_OK, you're right, but I'll admit it…I am scared"_ responded Steve

"_Yeh, it's scary, but it's also the best thing that you will ever have happen to you, that is , if you play your cards right. For once in your life, don't fuck this up! You don't want to end up like me. You want her take your kid and move half way around the world? Do you want to see your kid once a year and have him not know who you are? Fix this Steven, you need to fix this."_ As much as Steve hated to admit it, Danny was right.

Catherine walked home from the park holding her sons hand. "_Mommy, why do you look so sad?" _asked the little boy.

"_No reason, I am just tired, honey. Would you like to go play at Mrs. Beverly's house today?"_ she asked but truthfully he had no choice. She needed some time alone to sort through the emotions that were flooding her mind. She knew this day would come, just not today.

Mrs. Beverly was an elderly lady who lived next door. She was a widow and her sons were grown and lived on the mainland. She had 5 grandchildren, but only saw them at Christmas and occasionally during the summer. She regarded Catherine as the daughter that she never had and she completely adored Johnny. She was there when Johnny was born, babysat when Catherine went to work and whenever else she was needed. They spent holidays together and cried on each other's shoulders many times through the years. Catherine had come to regard her as a mother figure, a guardian angel. She always felt that she would be lost without her.

Catherine knocked on the door and as soon as Beverly saw her she hugged her. She could see that she was very upset.

"_Sweetheart, what happened? Are you ok? Come in Please, I'll make some tea and we'll talk. Johnny, why don't you go play in the den so mommy and I can have a talk?"_ She was concerned. She had rarely seen Catherine so emotional. She was good at hiding her feelings.

"_I saw him, Bev. I was at the park, and he was standing two feet away from me. I didn't know what to do. For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do." _She was shaking.

"_You knew that this was going to happen eventually. You live so close to each other; I am surprised it didn't happen sooner."_ She tried to understand without saying I told you so.

"_I know. It hurt so much to see him. I didn't realize that I am still in love with him. He hurt me so much, but I think I still love him."_

"_You know that I love you and I always support you no matter what, but I think it's time to tell him and get this secret out in the open." _Beverly was always the voice of reason_._

"_I know you are right, but what if he is married, or in a relationship? I can't deal with that. I can't pretend to be nice to another woman just so that my son can have a father. We do pretty well on our own. It's selfish, I know. I have a right to be selfish. What if he is still with that woman that he cheated on me with, I couldn't stand to look at her. Every time I think about it, it makes me sick. Physically ill. I close my eyes and I see him making love to her, on OUR beach. I can't get that image out of my mind. It's been years and it still haunts me." _The tears were pouring from her eyes like waterfalls_._

"_I can't begin to understand how you feel, but you need to focus on the good things. The good times. Think about the love that you had for each other. The child you made together. Why don't you tell me about the first time you met?" _Beverly tried to get Catherine to calm down.

"_You don't want to hear that story, do you?"_ the memories began to flood her mind.

"_Yes, I do. Tell me."_ Responded Beverly. This was a story that she had never heard before. Catherine had always refused to tell it. Actually she rarely spoke about anything that concerned her and Steve directly.

"_Ok, it was 2004 and I was aboard the Enterprise. I was assigned to monitor SEAL team 3, headed by Lt. Commander Steven J McGarrett. They were aboard since we sailed from Jacksonville, but they were in meetings and briefings the entire voyage. No one saw any of the team. We were sure that this assignment was a big one. Steve and his team were regarded as legends when it came to these types of missions_." She raised her eyebrows and smirked _"Actually he was also considered a legend among the entire female population of the Navy. The team was assigned to secure a high priority target and eliminate the threat. I can't tell you who or where, but it was dangerous, some considered it a suicide mission. They were able to secure the subject, but they got ambushed and became trapped behind enemy lines. They had no way out. The radio call for help was bone chilling." _She paused and took a breath_ "I used every resource I could. There was no way I was going to let those men die while I was on watch. I was able to get them out, using the satellite surveillance; I guided them step by step. I warned them of enemy targets approaching. I sent in diversions and a rescue boat to bring them back to the ship. The mission was a success. It was so scary, yet it felt so great to have the lives of these men in my hands and to successfully bring them home. The adrenaline felt amazing" _her voice dropped to a mere whisper_. "I loved that part of my job. Well, sometime after debriefing, he, Steve, came to the officer's galley and thanked me personally. I have helped other SEAL teams and never, never, has the Commander come and thanked me. He was the first. We immediately clicked; I could see why he was "famous" among the woman" _she began to smile_ "He was very charming, not to mention absolutely gorgeous." _She rolled her eyes_ "We had a coffee, and another, and another, and talked for most of the night. He promised to buy me dinner when we got to back to land"_ she shook her head_. "That didn't happen, he had to ship out the next morning and it was 4 months until we saw each other again. I know this sound like a cliché, but it was love at first sight. At least for me it was." _Her voice faded and her mind drifted into silence.

Beverly tried to bring her back to the present.

"_So tell me, is he tall with short hair, unshaven, very handsome, and drives a blue pickup truck?"_ Beverly asked

"_What are you psychic, now? How could you possibly know that?"_ Catherine asked in shock.

"_Because I believe that he is knocking on your door. Look out the window. Go to him, dear, talk to him, I will watch Johnny as long as you need me too."_ Beverly gently pushed her out the door as she spoke.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you once again for the interest in this story. There are a few more chapters building this relationship, but eventually we will get to some action and maybe even a visit from those characters we love to hate. Let me know what you think.**_

Steve stood on the porch of the modest house. There was a tricycle and two surf boards leaning against the wall. One of the boards was clearly for a child. He knocked several times and there was no answer. He waited and knocked again. No answer. He turned and began to walk away when he heard someone say his name.

"_Steve, wait!"_ Catherine shouted as she approached from the house next door.

They exchanged an uncomfortable look and a second of silence followed.

"_Do you want to come in?"_ asked Catherine

"_Sure_" responded Steve in almost a whisper

Catherine fumbled for her keys and opened the door. She proceeded in, picking up toys from the floor as she made her way inside.

"_Sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting company_" she apologized

"_Its fine_" he instantly scanned the house with his eyes, taking note of the décor, pictures and items that made the house a home.

"_May I get you a drink? I think I have some beer_" she asked

"_I could use a beer_" he answered

She walked into the kitchen to get the drinks. Once she was out of sight, she covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. She could not believe how awkward this meeting felt. The one positive thing about their relationship was that they were always very comfortable with each other.

In the living room Steve paced around, looking at the photos that were displayed. There was Catherine's formal navy portrait, and next to it a photo of Johnny in a sailor outfit. "_Probably 2 years old_" thought Steve. There was one photo that particularly caught his eye. It was a photo that was taken at the Arizona Memorial. It was little Johnny saluting a flag that flew at half mass. It appeared to be fairly recent.

"_Here_" Catherine handed him the beer and sat on the couch. "_Have a seat_" she said to him avoiding eye contact. "_So… we both know why you are here, so go ahead, yell, curse, call me whatever you want to, but just don't try to sugar coat it. Get it all out."_

"_Before we get to all that, I want to hear you say it… Is that little boy mine_?" He asked already knowing the answer.

She hesitated, got up and walked to the corner of the room and said "_Yes. That little boy's name is John S McGarrett"_

"_You gave him my father's name?_" he was surprised

"_I figured that was what you would have wanted"_ she raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"_I am guessing that you aren't married_" he stated

"_You figured that out all by yourself or did the fact that my driver's license says Rollins give it away? I am assuming that that is how you found my address." _She snapped

"_Well, that and I don't see any wedding pictures and there is no ring on your finger_" he snapped back.

"_What about you?"_ she asked but was afraid of what the answer might be.

"_No, I was told that there was always a third person in my relationships…that would be you, by the way" _

She nodded her head in disbelief. "_You really expect me to believe that?"_

He got off the couch and approached her. "_This photo, why?"_ he picked up the framed picture taken at the Arizona.

"_He knows all about you, your father and his great grandfather. He knows about their service in the Navy and he knows about their history on these islands. Your family has a legacy and I want him to know that he is part of that legacy." _

"_Does he know that you are a cold hearted bitch who kept him away from me despite the fact that we live only 3 miles away from each other?"_ he regretted using the word, but it was too late. He could no longer control the anger that was building inside him. The idea that his son knew about him and his family, yet Steve didn't even know that the boy existed, broke his heart.

"_I deserve that. I am surprised it took you this long to say it. I told him that you are a superhero. Keeping the world safe for us and all of mankind. That you are out fighting for justice and that you wish you could be here, but can't." _The tears were beginning to fill her eyes. "_I don't blame you for hating me, because truthfully, I hate you right back. I hate you for pretending you loved me, when you didn't. I hate you for using me. I hate you for not telling me what you were going through. I hate you for cheating on me. I hate you for causing me to lose my career and I hate you because…. I could never stop loving you!"_ she shouted.

He had prepared to fight back, until the final line was delivered. He turned his back to her and paused. He did not like the way this conversation was going.

He turned to face her "_First of all, I did love you and I regret cheating on you more than you know. I am sorry that you were discharged from the Navy because of me and I am sorry that I ruined your life. But, how could you not tell me that you were pregnant? We could have worked through it somehow." _

"_I tried to tell you, but when I went to your house… That's when I saw you with that woman. It destroyed me. I didn't want to have anything to do with you anymore. It was the last straw. I stood by you when you were a SEAL; I consoled you when your father was killed. I stood by you when you made the decision to come here and run the task force. I stood by you when you were accused of killing the Governor. My association with you, helping you, cost me my career. But on that day, in 2011, I decided that it was over. That was the one thing I would not tolerate from you or anyone else!" _She was shouting at him

"_I am sorry, but I am here now and I want to be a part of my son's life_" he said calmly with his eyes flooding with tears.

Her body was trembling. She wanted him to be a part of Johnny's life. She wanted her son to have a father, but that would mean that he would also be part of her life and she didn't want to be just friends, but being lovers was out of the question, not after he had treated her so wrong.

He retreated to the opposite side of the room. Silence penetrated the house for nearly 10 minutes. Steve approached her. She was sitting on the floor, in the corner of the room, her knees to her chin and her head down. He offered his hand to help raise her to her feet.

"_I am not expecting things to go back to the way they were, actually I would prefer that they didn't. I know that we could do a lot better than that. Let's start over. Let me spend time with you and Johnny, strictly plutonic. If it evolves, great, if not, it's ok too. We both move on, ok?"_

She hesitated_. "Ok…"_she knew that this was a solution that would be best for Johnny_. "I suppose you would like to meet him now_." She wiped the tears from her face

"_That would be nice"_ he smiled

"_Wait here, I'll get him, he's just next door"_ she opened the door and walked outside closing the door behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thank you so much for reading. I am sorry that I haven't been able to personally respond to the reviews, but please keep the reviews coming. They are greatly appreciated.**_

The door busted open and Catherine shouted "_Beverly where are you!_"

"_In the den dear!"_ Beverly responded

Catherine proceeded to the den where she found Beverly sitting on the floor, playing GI Joe with Johnny. She had a single Barbie that was apparently the damsel in distress. GI Joe always rescued Barbie. Catherine tried to convince Johnny that sometimes Barbie needed to rescue GI Joe but he would have nothing to do with that notion. Beverly got up and guided Catherine to the other room. "_I'll be right back_" she said to Johnny.

"_Well, what happened?"_ Beverly asked

"_We screamed, we yelled, we called each other all kinds of names. It got real ugly, but…he wants to meet his son. We made a decision to try to work it out. Kind of a do over." _Catherine paced furiously_. "I am so scared Beverly. I am afraid that once Johnny gets to know him, once he gets old enough to understand what happened these last few years that he is going to hate me. I am afraid that I am going to lose my son. I feel like I just want to grab him and run-a-way."_

"_You are not the kind of girl who runs, you're a fighter, and I've never seen you quit anything. We both know this._" Beverly approached Catherine and placed her hands on her shoulders._ "Come on Catherine, you are so strong, you have been through so much and I can't believe you really feel that way. Besides, what am I going to do without you?" _once again the voice of reason.

"_Your right, but this is different." _Catherine covered her mouth

"_Go talk to Johnny; tell him that he is going to finally meet his father. He needs to be prepared. You made up this fantasy about how perfect the man is and how super human he is, you had better hope that he lives up to that, because if he doesn't, that will be worse than anything that you have done. I wonder now if it was a good idea." _Beverly sounded worried

"_How else do you explain to a little boy, why he can't see his father? He knew he had one. I couldn't deny him that. He heard the name on the news; he saw pictures of arrests and commendations. It started and I couldn't stop it." _She lowered her voice and looked down to the ground as she spoke. _"I always saw him as this superhero. The first few years of our relationship, he was. He would appear out of nowhere, and sweep me off my feet. I guess we'll have to see how it plays out, for both of us"_ Catherine had never been so unsure of herself "_I just need to know that you have my back"_

"_Of course I do, don't I always? Just promise me that whatever happens, you will still need me around, ok?"_ Beverly was concerned that if Steve and Catherine somehow managed to get back together, that she would no longer be needed. That was her biggest fear. She always felt that Johnny and Catherine were the two things that gave her a reason to wake up every morning.

Catherine looked Beverly directly in the eyes_. "I promise that you will ALWAYS be a part of my life. I am not planning on going anywhere. You are the only person that I could whole heartedly depend on and you are the only person who never judged me. I love you more than anything in this world."_ Catherine hugged Beverly and didn't want to let go.

"_Go talk to Johnny, prepare him. I have something I need to do. I will be right back" _

Beverly released Catherine from her arms, wiped her tears, wiped Catherine's tears, and walked out the door.

Somehow Catherine knew exactly where she was going and actually didn't mind it one bit.

Catherine had returned to the den and sat on the floor next to Johnny. The television played an episode of Rescue Heroes, "_how appropriate_" she thought.

"_Johnny, I have some good news to tell you. There is someone at our house that wants to see you." _She spoke softly.

"_Daddy! Is Daddy back from his secret mission?"_ Johnny jumped up and down.

Catherine was surprised at his response. She did not expect him to immediately assume it was his father. It was at that moment when she realized how much the child was longing to have a father. He must have been wishing for this day to come.

The door opened and Steve turned with a smile on his face, he expected to see the little boy from the park, but instead there stood an elderly woman in the doorway. She was a petite woman, short gray hair and wore a modest house dress. She seemed very dignified and her face showed years of wear, but it was clear that she was once a beautiful woman.

"_My name is Beverly Andiko. You do not know who I am, but I know who you are. I am here to tell you that if you do anything to hurt that little boy or Catherine, I promise you that I will be worse than any terrorist or criminal that you have ever encountered. Do you understand?"_ She meant every word that came out of her mouth.

"_Yes, Ma'am"_ he did not even try to argue

She turned around and walked out the door.

Steve was stunned, but at the same time, pleased that Cat and Johnny had someone that cared about them enough to make a statement like that. A discreet smirk emerged from his lips.

"_What did you do?_" asked Catherine as she and Beverly crossed paths in the driveway.

"_Nothing"_ responded Beverly, though the look of pride on her face said other words

"_Ok"_ smiled Catherine, she knew better than to press it further. "_Wish us luck_" she looked down at Johnny who was jumping and pulling Catherine's arm.

Beverly hugged them both and said "_Good luck, I love you both"_

"_Daddy!"_ Johnny shouted as he ran to Steve.

Steve was surprised that the boy showed no signs of shyness or doubt. He looked at Cat as he hugged him and smiled. Cat covered her mouth with her hands and desperately tried to hold back the tears that welled in her eyes.

"_Daddy, tell me, did you catch the bad guys? Is your secret mission over? Are you going to stay home now? You have to see my room. I want you to see my new surf board. Mommy says that you are a great surfer, I am good too, but mommy isn't very good. I can surf better than her." _He rambled from one subject to another without taking a breath.

Steve smiled and looked at Johnny, then Cat, then back. He was absorbing everything that the boy said.

"_Whoa! Slow down sailor. Let daddy get a word in."_ she smiled "_He has a tendency to ramble on. He gets very excited."_

"_That's fine with me"_ he answered sincerely. He could clearly see that this was just as overwhelming for Cat as it was for him. "_Johnny, let's go see your room and give mommy a chance to relax a little"_ Johnny grabbed his hand and guided him to his room talking the entire time.

Johnny's room was a small room. It was decorated in a nautical theme. Navy paraphernalia covered the walls. Next to the bed was a photo of Steve. It was a photo that he recognized instantly. It was taken on their first date. It was a picture of Steve standing with a waterfall behind him, smiling. He wore a Seals T-shirt with blue board shorts. He was surprised, that of all the photos, that was the one that she had chosen to frame for their son. Steve held the frame in his hand, as he looked at the picture.

"_Mommy says that's her favorite place. I want to go there, but she always says no. Daddy, will you take me there?" _He looked at Steve with innocence.

"_I would love to take you there, maybe we can get mommy to come too."_ He answered.

He knew why Cat didn't want to go back there. That was where they had their first official date. It was also the first time that they made love, under that waterfall, just moments after that picture was taken. It was his favorite place too. He had been back there many times since then. Alone. He had returned there after his father died, after the charges were dropped against him, after the new governor was elected and threatened to shut down 5-O, after Danny threatened to return to New Jersey to be with his children. It was where he went to think, clear his mind, and relive precious moments in his life. He never felt it appropriate to take another woman there. He had never even taken Danny there. It was his and Cat's special place.

"_Daddy come here, you have to see this"_ Johnny grabbed Steve's hand and dragged him from one part of the room to the other. He showed him his toys, his books, everything in his room, finally settling down to watch an episode of Rescue Heroes. "_Mommy says that you are like all of the Rescue Heroes put together. That is so cool, my daddy is a hero" _he said proudly.

Steve just smiled and lay down on the floor next to him. He watched as Johnny slowly fell asleep.

Cat sat on the couch, curled up, with her knees pressed against her chest and her arms holding them closer to her. She looked like a frightened little girl. A bottle of wine sat on the table alongside a half filled glass.

"_He's asleep"_ Steve announced as he entered the room

"_Did he drive you nuts? He gets a little over excited sometimes"_ she answered as she changed her position.

"_You've done a great job with him"_ he smiled

"_I tried to do the best I could with what I had"_ she smiled back

"_I want to talk to you about that. I want to help you guys. I owe you money. I mean it must have cost you a small fortune to raise him so far and I would like to help" _Steve was sincere in his offer.

"_I don't need your money. I don't want your money."_ She answered _"I do very well financially. The private sector pays a lot more than the Navy did and probably more than you make."_

Steve was frustrated with her remark._ "What are doing? Why can't you just accept my help? Sometimes you are so stubborn." _He rolled his eyes_ "I can't believe that you won't let me be a part of this. I want in; I want to be completely in, not just some guy who shows up every other weekend and holidays. I want a family!"_ he meant it. That she could see. Family was always very important to him.

"_You can't just show up after all these years and expect me to just let you take over our lives. I don't know who you are, who you've become. I don't trust you." _She stood up and approached him._ "After your father was killed, you became this… machine. You locked everyone out of your life. I used to wish that I was part of your team so that you would pay attention to me, and now you want to be in. It's going to take time. I need time to wrap my brain around this. I went to the park for an hour and my whole life changed." _She sat back on the couch_. "I am sorry; Steven, but I need time."_ She pleaded.

"_Fine, I'll go and leave you alone, but I am coming back tomorrow. Have Johnny ready, I am taking him to our waterfall. If you want to come, I would love that. I will be here at 8 am." _He leaned down and kissed her lips. She did not respond to his kiss, but he knew that she wanted to. He was not about to give up this second chance, even if she made it difficult. He knew her very well and he knew that she would eventually give in to him. After all she had already admitted that she still loved him.


	5. Chapter 5

_**This is a short chapter, but I felt that we needed to get some of Steve point of view. That is why you are getting two chapters today.**_

Steve pulled up to Danny's modest apartment and entered carrying a six pack of Longboards. This apartment was an improvement on his old one. He now had two children that came to visit and so he felt it necessary to upgrade to a 2 bedroom.

Danny got up to greet Steve as he entered "_Well, let's hear it. What happened? Have you joined the Daddy club?"_ he asked feverishly

"_Yep_" Steve answered as he opened a beer and sat on Danny's couch.

"_Yep? That's all I get? Yep?"_ Danny wanted more information

"_It's my kid, Danny. She confirmed it. My kid"_ Steve seemed dumbfounded

"_Congrats bro_" Danny lifted his bottle to Steve "_Cheers_"

"_The kid is so great Danny. He's so smart and good looking and he surfs._" Steve was beaming with pride. "_Cat told him everything about me. He recognized me right away. He even had a picture of me in his room." _Steve continued_ "She named him after my father; John. She gave him my last name. He knows about my Grandfather and my Father, he knows all about me."_

"_Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?"_ Danny questioned

"_I guess, just a little strange, don't you think?"_ Steve questioned

"_Maybe she was trying to keep you involved in their lives without you actually being there. Come to think about it, that's not a bad idea" _Danny joked

"_Funny_." He paused, took a drink and said "_She said she still loved me_"

"_That's great, right?"_ Danny replied trying not to get to excited

"_Well actually she said that she hated me because she still loves me. She looked so lost. I felt so lost. I really don't know what I am supposed to do. What should I do?" _Steve continued drinking his beer

"_Whatever you do, do it slowly. Take things slow. I know you have a tendency to jump into things. Don't mess this up, again."_ Danny was sincere as he sat next to Steve

"_Tomorrow morning, I'm taking Johnny to a special place that my father took me; it's also where I took Cat when we first met. I asked her to come too, but I doubt she will" _

"_Whoa slow down!" _He raised his hand_ "Do you really think that's a good idea?_ " Danny thought he was pushing too much, too fast.

"_I do. I love her Danny and I want her back. I am willing to do whatever it takes."_ He sounded like a high school boy mourning his first crush.

"_I gotta ask you, why didn't you do something sooner? You were with her for what 7 years before? and you've had 6 years to go after her since, why didn't you?"_ Danny knew that Catherine was the only woman Steve had ever honestly loved, yet he never understood why he didn't pursue her.

"_We were young. I just got my command and I guess we were doing our own thing. We hooked up when we could. One of us was going to have to give up our career. At the time I couldn't, or wouldn't, and I wasn't going to ask her to. Then I was tasked to go after Hess. Well, you know what happened after that."_ He paused

"_Why didn't you try to find her, after it all settled? It would have been easy._ _A simple driver's license search would have sufficed" _Danny suggested

"_I thought she was better off without me."_ Steve had regrets about not searching for her, but he honestly thought she was safer if he wasn't around. If he would have known about the child, things may have been different.

"_I hear you babe, just tread lightly, ok?" _Danny stretched his arm, gently touching Steve's shoulder

"_Listen, I'm going to go. Thanks for listening and for the advice."_ Steve got up and headed for the door.

"_Why do I have a feeling that you aren't going to take any of it?"_ Danny was sure that his advice landed on deaf ears.

Steve just smiled and left. Danny sat on the couch alone and opened another beer. "_Why do I have a feeling that there is going to be trouble coming?"_ he thought to himself as he turned the TV on and began channel surfing.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Love Scene! I hope I did it justice without going too far. Reviews please.**_

Johnny sat on the porch waiting patiently. He wore camouflage board shorts and a skin shirt. His feet were dangling from the chair, kicking his crocs from one foot to the other. A blue towel gently hung around his neck.

"_Mommy, when is Dad coming?"_ he shouted

"_Any minute now, relax, he'll be here"_ Cat responded _"he better show up"_ she said under her breath. She was reminded of the many dates that were broken because of important cases that suddenly took precedence.

At that moment the blue truck pulled into the driveway. Johnny jumped off the chair and ran to greet his father.

"_Hey buddy, ready to go?"_ he grabbed him in his arms and lifted him up.

"_Yes sir_" he saluted "_mommy's coming too."_ The boy whispered

"_Really?"_ Steve was surprised "_Let's go get her then_"

Steve and Johnny entered the house. Cat was just exiting the bedroom pulling up her shorts and buttoning them. She wore a red triangle bikini top and her hair was in a ponytail. Steve starred in awe. She realized his reaction and smiled.

"_What are you staring at?"_ she reached for the cut off shirt that was draped on the chair and put in on.

"_You are in better shape now than you were back then."_ He commented "_you look incredible_"

"_Thank you. I've been working out a lot. I seem to have a lot of free time_" she responded

"_How could a single working mom have a lot of free time?"_ he questioned

"_He goes to sleep at 8, I work out in the evenings, it's not like I have anything else to do_" she said in a solemn tone.

"_Yeh, sure, I bet you have a lot of late night male visitors._" he was fishing for information

"_I don't date_." She changed the subject_ "Shouldn't we be going?"_ she reached down and grabbed a bag with snacks and towels

"_I am surprised that you decided to join us"_ he remarked

"_Do you seriously think that I was going to let you take my son into the jungle, alone?"_ she snapped

"_You don't trust me? I am his father."_ He snapped back

"_yeh, for like 12 hours_" she responded defensively

"_Point taken_" he said

The car ride to the area was a long one. Steve and Catherine sat in awkward silence. Johnny was excited to finally be going to the place that was in the picture and he continued to ramble on about it. Eventually the vibration of the car ride put him to sleep.

"_Is he really sleeping?_" asked Steve

"_We" _she corrected herself_ "…he was up all night. He was very excited about coming this morning."_ She answered "_I am glad that you didn't disappoint him"_

"_I would never do that"_ said Steve

Catherine thought about reminding him about all the times that he disappointed her, but decided to leave it alone.

They finally reached the destination and Cat could not believe that it was exactly as she remembered. Johnny had even commented that it was just like the picture. Steve paused before exiting the truck and stared, taking in a deep breath, pressing his hands on the steering wheel. This location meant the world to him and emotions were beginning to take over. He contained himself and counted silently until three and exited. He slowly approached Johnny and knelt beside him.

"_Take a good look at this place. It never changes. Everything else does, but not this. My grandfather brought my father here as a little boy, my father brought me here as a little boy and now I am bringing you here. I hope that one day you will bring your son here too. No matter what happens in your life this place will always be here, it will always be our special place" _Steve explained

"_Mommy calls that a legacy_" Johnny answered

He looked at Cat and smiled _"Then I guess this place is part of your legacy_"

"_Want to go for a swim? Come on"_ he grabbed his hand and jumped into the pool of water that was fed by the waterfall.

Catherine spread a towel on the ground, near the pool. She removed her shirt and shorts, revealing the red bikini that she wore. She lay on the towel while leaning on her elbows, and watched as Steve and Johnny frolicked in the water. The laughter and splashing brought her back to the time when Steve first brought her there.

**-Flashback to 2004-**

"_All right already I am coming, stop banging on the door!"_ Catherine was awoken by the noise. She answered the door

"_Good morning Lieutenant"_ Steve stood at her door smiling, all bright eyed, with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"_Commander, what are you doing here?"_ she was surprised to see him. It had been four months since there meeting aboard the Enterprise

"_I owe you dinner" _he answered

"_Its 7am"_ she was confused

"_I know and you have the day off, so I want to show you something"_ his eyes wondered up and down her body as he responded.

Just then she realized that she was only wearing a tank top and panties. "_Oh shit! Come in, I'll be right back"_ she ran into the bedroom and put on a pair of shorts.

"_I am afraid to ask. What do you want to show me?"_ she asked reluctantly

"_Put a bathing suit on and you will see"_ he answered with confidence

"_And what makes you think that I don't have plans or a boyfriend for that matter?"_

"_I asked around, you're available"_ he smiled

"_Confident much?" _she responded with a smile

"_Do you want to come or what?"_ he asked

"_I'll go, give me a minute."_ She went back into the bedroom to change. She closed the door behind her and smiled. _"He actually showed up. Thank you God!"_ she thought to herself

"_Ok, I am ready"_ she emerged from the bedroom in a floral bikini covered by a loose fitting sun dress.

"_Let's go, get in_" Steve had somehow commandeered a jeep from the base.

"_You know that you can't leave the base with one of these_" Catherine pointed out

Steve just smiled _"Buckle up_" he said "_It's going to be a bumpy ride_"

They finally arrived to the remote location and Catherine could not believe how beautiful this place is. There was a waterfall that fed a pool surrounded by large smooth boulders. The waterfall was no taller than 65 ft, yet gave the impression that the water was falling from the sky. Lush green trees and beautiful flowers in an array of colors painted the landscape.

"_This place is amazing"_ she said

"_It's my favorite place"_ he responded _"I used to come here as a kid"_

They spent the entire day climbing the waterfall together and playing in the pool of water that gathered at the foot. They sat on the rocks and talked for hours. He told her about how his mother was killed in a car accident and how his father had sent his sister and him away. He told her of his time at Annapolis and his decision to join the SEALS. She told him about growing up in foster care, how she never knew her parents and that the only thing she knew about herself was her name and birthdate. "_You age out at 18, I had nowhere else to go, and joining the Navy seemed like the right choice"_ she explained.

"_My family is all about the Navy"_ he explained _"my grandfather died on the Arizona and my father fought in Vietnam"_

"_Did you notice what is behind the falls? Come I'll show you"_ he took her hand and guided her behind the curtain of water.

"_Wait let me get a picture_ _first_" she grabbed her camera and snapped it. He stood with the waterfall behind him and a silly smile covered his face.

The walls behind the curtain of water were covered with petroglyphs. He pointed to each, explaining the different meanings to her. She was fascinated, not by the drawings, but by his enthusiasm. She had waited the entire morning for him to kiss her, but he didn't. She decided that it was time to put matters in her own hands. She reached over to him, grabbed his face with her hands, and kissed him. The one kiss led to another. Before either of them realized, they were in the pool, hugging and kissing. They caressed each other as they kissed. Her legs wrapped around his body as he removed her top and stroked her hair with his hands. He reached down and lifted her body out the water, carrying her to the rocks that surrounded the area. He gently lowered her to the ground and leaned on top of her. He kissed her lips, her neck, and slowly made his way down to her chest. She kissed his lips and caressed the muscles on his chest, his back and tightly held on to his biceps as they made love on those rocks. Their hearts were beating in unison, and their breathing was rhythmic. She could swear that their souls were merging. Afterwards they just laid there as their bodies remained intertwined. They held each other as if their mere existence depended on it.

He drove her home that afternoon and spent the rest of the evening in her bed making love, caressing each other, and best of all talking and laughing. They never did make it to dinner that evening. The next morning she awoke to a note that simply read: **I didn't want to wake you. I had to ship out. I owe you dinner. Love Steve**

**- Present time -**

"_What are you smiling at?_" he stood and watched as she stared at the falls with a grin on her face

"_Huh? Oh I don't know, I was just remembering"_ she stopped herself before she said something that she might regret. _"Where is Johnny?"_

"_He fell asleep while we were drying off over there. He's fine. We played hard. I guess I tired him out" _Steve sounded almost proud of himself _"we had fun"_

"_I am glad that you are getting to spend some time with him."_ She smiled

"_I am glad that I am getting to spend time with both of you"_ he smirked

They stared into each other's eyes and it was obvious to both of them that there was an undeniable attraction. He leaned into her and kissed her. She responded and the kiss became more passionate. He climbed on top of her and began to caress her body as he kissed her; she began to feel her body react to his touch. She loved the feeling of his body rubbing against her. His tight muscles flexing as he explored hers. Suddenly, she crawled out from under him and yelled _"stop!"_

He immediately stood up and asked _"What? Why? You can't tell me that you didn't feel that?"_ He was angry

"_I am not doing this. I am sorry, but I can't"_ she stood up and began to gather her belongings. "_We need to leave. Please. I have work tomorrow and Johnny has school." _she was frantic.

"_Ok. I am sorry"_ he helped her load her things in the truck, picked up Johnny and gently secured him into the back seat.

The ride home was silent. He occasionally looked toward her, wanting to say something, but had chosen not to. She simply stared ahead, never turning in his direction. When they arrived, he helped her carry Johnny to his bed and once again apologized to her. "_I am really sorry, I didn't mean to push, and I guess I just read you wrong" _He was sure that she felt the same as him.

"_No you didn't, you read me right, but I just can't. I am sorry. Please go_" she was getting upset and he did not want to push the subject any further.

"_Goodbye… I had a great time... I'll call Johnny after school tomorrow."_

He retreated to his truck and drove off.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thank you again for reading. Keep the reviews coming; they help inspire and they make me happy. Things are going to start getting exciting after this chapter, so stay tuned.**_

Several weeks had gone by and Steve and Johnny were spending a great deal of time together. Steve had taken Johnny snorkeling with Chin, surfing with Kono, and Danny had even managed to find a local baseball game. "_A boy must know the basics of baseball"_ Danny advised. Catherine had been assigned a high priority project at work and was now occasionally working on Saturdays. Steve had desperately tried to get her to participate in some of the activities but she had been keeping her distance since the incident at the waterfall.

Catherine had secured a position at STA Communications. This was a company that specialized in Satellite communications that held contracts with both government and private sector companies. The biggest client was the Department of Defense. Catherine was the lead analyst for STAC. Her years of experience with Naval Intelligence had earned her the position.

"_Miss Rollins, you have a phone call. They said that it's an emergency_" announced Robert. Robert Nosh was the intern that had been assigned to her for the past 6 months. He was her personal assistant and right hand in this project.

"_This is Catherine_" she answered the phone

"_Catherine, its Steve, listen, don't freak out, but we are at the Hospital. Johnny broke his wrist. He's ok I promise" _Steve cringed, knowing that he was about to get yelled at

"_What! You son of a...forget it, I'll be right there!"_ she hung up the phone, grabbed her purse from the drawer and shouted instructions to her intern as she left the office.

Catherine came running into the emergency room only to encounter Danny sitting in the waiting room. He approached her immediately.

"_Whoa, whoa, slow down_. _Catherine, he's fine. They are putting the cast on him now. It wasn't anyone's fault, he just fell and landed on his wrist"_ Danny was trying to do damage control but could clearly see that it wasn't working.

"_And what exactly were you boys doing, when he fell?"_ she interrogated

"_Rock climbing?"_ Danny was scared to answer.

"_Rock climbing? You do realize that he is 5, right?"_ she asked

"_He wanted to do it, and… well…"_ he didn't know what else to say. Catherine scared him a little.

"_Just forget it. Show me where they are"_ she said

"_Why don't you wait till they come out? Steve is with him and he is pretty calm. If you go in there now, you'll just get him upset. Believe it or not Johnny thinks it's cool that he broke his wrist."_ Danny knew that if she went into the exam room, an argument would break out between Steve and her. Danny knew from his experience with Rachel that it would not be a good idea.

"_Fine!"_ she sat on a chair in the waiting room and rubbed her eyes in defeat.

Danny hesitated, and then sat down next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders. They looked at each other and smiled.

Danny and Catherine had become very close after the incident with the Governor and Laura Hills. Steve had taken the events very personal and felt guilty for Laura's death. After his acquittal, he retreated and became a recluse of some sort. His main focus was finding Wo Fat and he didn't care who or what got in the way. They both worried about him and Danny had tried to keep Catherine informed of the events, he was her only lifeline to him.

Catherine had been transferred off the Enterprise and sent to Jacksonville. She was not permitted any leave and was under investigation for assisting Steve. When he was arrested, an investigation was opened on his frequent contacts, and it was discovered that she was accessing military satellites to assist him with cases. It was Danny that convinced the JAG attorneys to give her an honorable discharge and not to court martial her. He explained that it was because of her help that an escaped convict was caught. It was because of her that an Ex-Navy SEAL was found innocent of murder. It was because of her that the daughter of the Philippines' ambassador was recovered. It was because of her that a Tsunami hoax was discovered and because of that $28 million dollars was recovered. She always appreciated that Danny went out of his way to help her and he knew it.

"_Mommy, Mommy, look I have a blue cast. Isn't that so cool?"_ Johnny came running down the hallway closely followed by Steve. _"Daddy said that he broke his arm three times, See mom I am just like daddy. It's my legacy" _

The mere uttering of the words made Catherine cringe and Steve smile. Catherine simply nodded her head in disbelief.

"_Should I take you home now?"_ she said

Danny nudged at Steve and gave him a look. They were having an entire conversation without saying a single word. This was a talent that they had developed over the years.

"_Listen, Cat. Since you are all dressed up, you look very professional by the way, and since Johnny was such a brave little soldier, why don't you let me take you guys out to dinner? You too Danny" _

"_I don't think so"_ Cat responded

"_Mommy pleeeeeeeeease!"_ Johnny tilted his head and held on to his cast with his other hand.

She looked into his eyes and couldn't refuse. "_OK, just dinner. Besides you owe me dinner"_ she looked at Steve and couldn't help but laugh.

He smiled back. This phrase had become their own private joke over the years.

"_I myself have other plans, so I am going to go now"_ announced Danny

"_Ok"_ said Steve _"First let's stop by my place so Johnny and I can change our clothes"_

"_You guys go change and I'll just meet you there, where would you like to go?"_ she did not want to go anywhere near his house. The memories were too painful for her.

"_Hilton Hawaiian Village, they have great food there."_ He loved their surf and Turf.

"_I'll get a table and meet you there"_ she kissed Johnny on the cheek. She turned and looked at Steve and just smiled at him. She was angry at the events of the day, but deep down she knew that it wasn't his fault. Johnny wanted to be just like him and part of that was her fault. She knew that Steve would never do anything to intentionally hurt him.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Everything that has happened in the past few chapters has been a hint to what will happen in the remaining chapters.**_

_**And the adventure begins…**_

_**Tell me what you think.**_

Steve, Danny, Chin and Kono sat at the conference table in Five -0 headquarters. The atmosphere was light and jovial. The table was covered with files and paperwork regarding the Meth lab and the arrest of those that were involved. For the first time in years, Steve felt relaxed and could honestly say that he was happy. He had been spending a great deal of time with Johnny and was starting to feel like a real father. Catherine had begun to trust him more and he was sure that she was on the verge of giving in to his charm. She had even cooked him dinner on more than one occasion.

"_McGarrett, can I speak to you alone in your office?"_ Lt. Duke Lukela entered the office complex.

"_Sure, what's up?"_ answered Steve as he got up from the conference area and proceeded to his office.

"_We picked up a case this morning and your name came up"_ answered Duke _"There was a home invasion and abduction that occurred overnight. It is a gruesome crime scene, lots of blood, but no bodies. The only witness we have is a neighbor who heard sounds coming from the home and tried to help the residents. She is in critical condition, but the doctors think that she will make it"_

"_What does this have to do with me? This is HPDs jurisdiction"_ Steve was curious

"_The title of the house is under the name Catherine Elizabeth Rollins in trust for John Steven McGarrett. Do you have a relative named John?"_ Duke asked reluctantly.

Steve's face immediately went pale, his heart began to race, but surprisingly there was no reaction. "_Yes, that's my son"_ he answered. _"Thank you Duke, I will take it from here"_ He was too calm.

Duke was shocked and hesitated, but continued _"Here is the file, with the information and photos. My officers are still there and there is an officer at the hospital with the neighbor. We haven't identified the neighbor yet. Her house is owned by a Trust. My officers will be cooperating with you and your team. Anything you need, just ask."_

Duke had assisted Five-0 on many cases throughout the years. He had come to be a sort of liaison between HPD and Five-0, and had also learned not to question Steve's reactions.

"_The neighbor's name is Beverly Andiko; she has a son in Chicago, David Andiko."_ Steve once again responded calmly. _"Thank you for your help, can you please have my team come in here?"_

The team entered Steve's office unaware of what had transpired with Duke.

"_What's up boss?"_ asked Kono

"_We have a case."_ Steve tossed the file marked Rollins on the desk.

Danny picked up the file. He was shocked. He looked at Steve and back at the file. He opened it and became more shocked. The photos showed broken furniture, blood stains, and shattered glass. There was obviously a big struggle. Steve knew by the look on Danny's face that it was bad. He had chosen not to open the file himself. Danny reluctantly showed Chin and Kono the contents of the file, as they all looked at Steve in disbelief. None of them could believe that something like this could happen to him, again. None of them could believe that he was reacting so calm despite the events.

"_Chin and Kono, go to the house, I mean crime scene, and see what you can find. Danny, you come with me to the hospital. Hopefully Beverly has regained consciousness and we can get some information from her."_ Steve gave instructions as if it were any other case.

Chin and Kono left the office, giving each other a look, a look that showed confusion.

Danny and Steve were left alone.

"_Steve, I know you, and don't you dare go back to that place"_ Danny ordered

"_What place?"_ Steve answered calmly

"_You know damn well what I am talking about. Do not retreat; do not put up the wall! Why aren't you yelling? Why aren't you breaking something? You cannot bottle it up! I won't let you do that again!"_ Danny was yelling at him.

"_What's the point Danny? As soon as I find some sort of happiness, some sort of peace, in my life, it gets taken away. Gone. It's the story of my life. It's my legacy." _Steve was surprisingly calm.

Danny knew that there was no point in arguing with him now and that he just needed to be there for him when he broke down. He eventually will break down, that was something that Danny had experienced before and knew that he will experience again.

Danny and Steve stood at the door of the hospital room and watched as the machines breathed and fought to keep Beverly alive. _"This is my fault"_ thought Steve.

"_I know what you're thinking and you don't know that this has anything to with you. It could be random; it could have to do with Catherine's job. Did you even take the time to ask her what she does?" _The one thing that Danny did know about Steve and Catherine's relationship was that it was always about him. That was the main complaint that Catherine had when it came to Steve. She had spent many hours pouring her heart out to Danny, it had been many years ago, but the idea had stuck with him and he agreed that her concern was valid.

"_Well, no. But this has Wo Fat written all over it. Somehow he found out, he's back to destroy me again"_ Steve was sure.

"_You're doing it again. Stop! Wo Fat has been off the grid for years. We need to check everything. Don't be so one sided. Look! She's awake, let's talk to her and see what she knows" _Danny approached Beverly's bedside and Steve followed

Beverly opened her eyes to find Steve and Danny at her bedside. She reached her hand, grabbing on to Steve's _"Steven I am so sorry, I tried to stop them, but I couldn't"_ she pleaded

"_You did your best. It's not your fault"_ Steve held her hand gently squeezing it tighter.

"_All I remember is that it was 3:17 am, I know because I looked at the clock. I heard banging and glass breaking. I grabbed the broom and went to see what was happening. There were three men, one had Johnny, he was covering his mouth, and the other two had Catherine. Her mouth was taped and she was kicking and trying to get way. She was covered in blood and so was one of the men. They had masks on, the kind you wear to ski. I hit one over the head and that's all I remember. I am sorry Steve, I tried to help, I really did. If anything happens to them, I ….."_ the machines began to beep and a bell began to ring, as Beverly clenched her chest. An array of doctors and nurses came running into the room, pushing Danny and Steve out of the way. Fifteen minutes later the doctor exited her room and approached Steve and Danny.

"_We managed to stabilize her, but she can have no more visitors. Are you family?"_ Asked the doctor

Before Danny could respond, Steve answered "_I'm her son in law_" He wanted to leave an opening in case he needed to speak to her again.


	9. Chapter 9

_**This is a little violent, so proceed with caution.**_

It was a dark room, possibly a warehouse or basement of some sort. The only stream of light came through a window that was partially underground; it was fogged with dirt, and partially broken. The room felt cold and damp, the walls made of brick. Boxes and crates outlined the area of the room and a single flickering florescent bulb hung from ceiling.

Catherine sat tied to a chair in the middle of the room. She wore the oversized shirt she was sleeping in and was barefoot. There was a table in front of her with a single laptop computer on it. She was unconscious and bleeding. Two men entered the room, shaking her to revive her consciousness. They placed a file on the table that seemed to contain charts and graphs, along with a series of equations, and coordinates of some kind.

"_Good morning Miss Rollins"_ said one of the men "_nice of you to join us"_

Her head was aching and she was dizzy with pain _"What do you want?"_ she asked quietly

"_We have a job for you. We need you to transfer the download to these coordinates, do this and we will let you and the child go"_ he responded calmly

She knew exactly what they were referring to "_I am not going to do that. That would be treason"_ she answered. She also knew that they would never let them go.

"_You will do as you are told!"_ shouted a man with a strong accent and a broken nose.

"_I will do nothing!"_ Catherine responded as she spat blood at him.

He raised his arm and slapped her, knocking her to the ground. _"That's for spitting._" He raised his hand and back slapped her again "_That's for breaking my nose earlier."_ He picked up the chair that she was bound in and placed her back to the position that it was before. The pain in her left arm pulsated and her head was throbbing. She could feel herself drift in and out of consciousness and her breathing was shallow.

"_You will enter these coordinates and reroute the download or you will pay with your life or better yet, with your son's life. Not even McGarrett can save you now"_ the man demanded.

"_I am doing nothing, nothing until I see my son!"_ she demanded

"_You will do it now! You will not see your son, until you do"_ he retorted

"_I am not doing it. Go ahead, kill me, we both know that there is no one else who can do it. I want my son here. Now!"_ she demanded.

"_What is going on here?"_ A calmer voice entered the room. He was apparently the man in charge of the other men. _"Bring the boy in, what harm can a child cause? If we bring the boy in, will you be more cooperative, Miss Rollins?"_

"_Yes"_ she responded

"_Very well then, bring the boy in!"_ he demanded

Another man dragged Johnny into the room, practically throwing him at Catherine's feet. _"Here is your little brat, now get to work"_ said the man. _"We will be back and you had better be doing as instructed." _The three men left the room, bolting the only door closed.

"_Johnny, are you ok?"_ Catherine asked

"_I'm ok, mommy, but you have a lot of booboos"_ he said sadly. Catherine's face was swollen and blood was dripping from her head and lips, she was sure that her arm and possibly a few ribs were broken. She knew that she had very little time. She could feel her lungs collapsing inside her; the tightness in her chest was unbearable. She was desperate.

"_Listen. Do you think that you could climb up to that window and get help?"_ she had noticed the small window earlier. The glass was broken and it appeared that they were partially underground. Maybe a basement she thought. She knew that she would never make it, but Johnny was small enough to fit through.

"_I don't know mommy. I am scared_" he responded with a shiver in his voice

"_John, you know how we talked about legacy? Well, I need you to be like daddy. Like a superhero, and crawl out that window and get help. Just like the monkey bars and the rock climbing wall." _she tried to relate to him in a way that he may understand_. "When you get out, run; run fast and as far as possible. Run until you find a police man, or a fire station. Tell them to call daddy at Five-0. I know you can do this Johnny. Do it for mommy and remember no matter what happens, I love you. Now go!" _She tried to be strong for him, but she knew that this move could cost her life.

Johnny climbed one box at a time, as Catherine watched the door, praying desperately that the men would not return just yet. He squeezed his way through the window and looked back at Catherine before he took off running. He did just as his mom told him; he ran and ran as fast as possible.

The three men entered just moments later.

"_Where is the boy?"_ the man with the strong accent demanded as he looked around the cavernous room.

Catherine did not answer.

"_I asked you a question!"_ he said again punching her, this time drawing more blood.

"_Go find the boy"_ he instructed to the others

"_Did you do as instructed?"_ he demanded

"_No and I am not going to"_ she responded defiantly

"_You said that you would cooperate once you saw the boy"_

"_I lied!"_ she answered

"_You are just as stubborn as your boyfriend. If are not going to help, then you are no longer needed"_ he raised the gun that he kept at his side and cocked it.

She didn't understand what Steve had to do with all this, but she was sure that he would somehow save her_. _He was her only hope._ "Ok, Ok, Fine, I'll do it!"_ she responded. She knew that she needed to buy some time.

Johnny continued to run for what felt like miles, though it was actually only a few blocks. He came across a police officer directing traffic. He ran across the street, with no regard for the cars, and was nearly struck, when the officer grabbed him.

"_Be careful kid, what are you doing here all alone?"_ the officer asked _"and why don't you have shoes on?"_

"_Call my daddy, Steven McGarrett at Five-0_" he said out of breath

"_McGarrett is your father? Ok"_ the officer was surprised. The boy was wearing Aquaman pajamas and was barefoot. He carefully guided the boy to his squad car, placed him in the backseat and picked up the radio receiver.

"_Dispatch, patch me through to McGarrett at Five-O"_ the officer called through his radio

"_McGarrett"_ Steve answered the call frantically

"_McGarrett, this is Officer Carlo. I have your son here with me" _

'_Where are you? Don't move, I'll be right there"_ Steve immediately ran to his car with Danny fast on his heels.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Violence and angst coming right up. **_

_**Maybe some tissues too. **_

_**Tell me what you think.**_

The silver Camaro pulled up to the traffic scene where the officer had Johnny. Steve ran to the car and grabbed Johnny holding him tightly in his arms. "_Are you ok buddy? Are you hurt?"_ he asked desperately.

"_Daddy, mommy is hurt bad, she is going to die"_ he sobbed

"_No she isn't buddy, tell me what happened"_ He kneeled beside him

"_They took us. They hurt mommy and Mrs. Beverly. They hit mommy, she tried to fight, but they were so strong, big like you daddy." _The boy was crying. _"Mommy made me escape. I didn't want to but she said I needed to be a hero, so I ran, really far, really fast."_

"_Johnny, do you know how many people were there? Do you think you could show us where you ran from?" _Steve asked desperately

"_Yes, there were three scary bad men, they had guns."_ replied Johnny as he clung desperately on to his father.

"_Danny, come with me, Chin, get the ops gear and have SWAT follow us. Kono, after Johnny shows us where they were being held, I'll need you to take Johnny home with you. Do not let him out of your sight. Please, Kono, Please."_ He knew that Kono would not be happy with the babysitting task and that she would want to be a part of the raid, but he needed someone that was capable and he trusted her to protect Johnny at all costs.

They drove for 6 blocks until Johnny pointed to the building that he escaped from. It was an abandoned warehouse building. The windows were boarded and grill gates covered all entrances, except one. Once the building was identified, Kono left with Johnny. Steve and Danny circled the building, trying to get an angle of the best point of entry. There was only one. One entry point meant that it would most likely be heavily guarded. They had to go in full force.

"_How do you want to do this?"_ reluctantly asked Danny

Steve cocked his gun.

"_That's what I was afraid of"_ responded Danny, as he checked his gun

Steve approached SWAT, HPD, and Chin and gave instructions. _"As far as we know, there are three hostiles and one innocent. The hostiles are all male. The innocent is a white female with dark hair, proceed with extreme caution"_ he instructed. The officers scattered and on his signal busted through the door.

The men inside the building were caught completely by surprise. They turned to fire, but it was too late, the SWAT officers were faster. The two perpetrators were killed instantly. They busted through a second door and there stood the third one, standing behind a semi-conscious Catherine. The thug was holding her in a choke hold and had a gun to her head.

"_Put the gun down!"_ shouted Danny as he pointed his gun

"_Not until you promise me a deal"_ the thug announced

"_How about this for deal? You put the gun down and you get to live"_ answered Steve aiming carefully at the man's head.

"_Don't hurt me and I'll tell you who ordered this."_ He was obviously scared

"_Fine, put the gun down! Now!"_ shouted Steve. He could have easily taken a shot and more than likely hit his target without missing, but he was not willing to take the chance. He wanted to know who was responsible for this.

The thug slowly removed his arm from around Catherine's neck and placed the gun on the floor.

Chin and Duke immediately ran towards him, kicked the gun out of the way and cuffed the man, removing him from that room.

Steve ran to Catherine and untied her, laying her gently to the ground.

"_Johnny?"_ she breathlessly asked

"_He's safe. Kono has him"_ he answered softly as he brushed the hair out of her face.

Suddenly her eyes rolled back and she stopped breathing.

"_No, no, no, no, no!"_ he shouted as he began CPR "_Come on, breathe, please breathe!"_ He shouted as he pounded on her chest.

"_Don't leave me now! Come on!"_ he desperately tried to breathe for her

"_Medics! Over here!"_ Danny shouted as the EMTs came running in.

They pushed Steve away and continued CPR. They charged the defibrillator and began working on reviving her. Steve leaned against the wall, making contact with his forehead. Danny stood beside him, with his hand on his shoulder.

"_This cannot be happening, Danny this can't happen_." Steve was terribly distraught

"_Clear! Again!" _the EMTs worked feverishly to save her_. "Clear! We got a pulse! Let's go!"_ they placed her on a gurney and ran out the building to the waiting ambulance.

Steve took off behind them and leaned over her, as they prepared to place her in the ambulance.

"_Steve"_ Catherine grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to her _"take care of Johnny. I love you"_ she whispered

"_We'll take care of him together"_ he responded "_Hang in there gorgeous, I'll be right behind you"_

He watched as the ambulance took off with sirens blaring. He walked purposefully into the building, grabbing the thug from Chin and Duke's custody and dragged him into the room that Catherine was held in earlier.

"_Uh, what's he gonna do?"_ asked Duke

"_Should we go check on them?"_ said Chin

"_I have a feeling that he is about to release some of that pent up aggression, and I don't want to be the one to get in the middle of that. Do you?"_ replied Danny

Steve grabbed the thug's shirt and slammed him against the wall. _"Who do you work for?" _

"_Robert Noshimuri"_ the thug answered.

"_Noshimuri?" _Steve could not believe what he just heard. He fisted his hand and made contact with the thugs left jaw, knocking him to the ground. _"That's for scarring little kids!"_ He grabbed his shirt and lifted him up, throwing him against the wall again. He fisted his hand again, this time making contact with the thug's eye. _"That's for hurting innocent old ladies!"_ The thug fell to the ground in pain. He lifted him up again and fisted his hand a third time, punching him in the gut. _"That's for messing with the wrong woman!" _He kicked him as he groaned on the floor in the fetal position. Steve walked out of the room very calmly and announced _"He's gonna need an ambulance. Danny lets go"_ They ran to the Camaro and headed straight for the hospital.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Here's some more character back story**_

The waiting room was a small private room. The walls were white with prints of flowers covering them. It felt cold and sterile, _not very comforting_, thought Steve. There was a row of chairs that lined the walls and a single telephone hanging on the opposite wall. Steve sat alone with his hands holding his head as his elbows rested on his knees.

David Andiko had just arrived from Chicago and sat at his mother's bedside when he heard the call come over the officer's radio. He immediately searched to find some information. He was referred to the waiting room where Steve sat alone.

"_Steven McGarrett? My name is David Andiko, I'm Beverly's son. The officer guarding my mother told me that you found Cathy, is she ok?"_ David asked feverishly as he entered the room

"_No, no she's not"_ Steve answered without lifting his head

David paused covering his face and sat opposite of Steve. A single tear fell from his eye _"Oh my God_" he said "_she isn't…?"_

"_No, but she was. She died in my arms and there was nothing I could do. She's in surgery now."_ Steve answered solemnly as he looked up.

David was a tall man, slightly taller than Steve. He had dark hair, olive skin, and green eyes. His body was slightly out of shape, but well-kept for a man in his fifties. His clothes were designer and the Rolex watch hinted that he was a man of means.

Steve could see that the man was clearly distraught. _"Are you and Cat close?"_ he asked in a deep raspy tone.

"_Not as close as I would have liked"_ he answered

"_Ok"_ Steve found the response odd.

"_No, you don't understand, you see, about three years ago, I went through a very nasty divorce. After the dust settled, I came home to spend some time with mom and to just get away from everything. Little did I know that mom had befriended, or more like adopted, someone as sweet and beautiful as Cathy. We spent a great deal of time together, talking. She helped me see that sometimes things happen and it isn't anyone's fault. We became close, very close. I don't know what I would have done without her. I flew back every month or so to see my mom, well, really to see her."_ He looked down at the ground during the entire monologue.

"_Man, I really do not need to hear this right now"_ Steve was annoyed and jealous

"_No, you do. You see after about 6 months, I proposed to her."_ David stood and paced.

"_Man, I told you, I don't want to hear this"_ Steve protested.

"_Would you just shut up and listen. I told her that I loved her and that I could give her anything she wanted. She would never have to work another day in her life. Johnny would be able to attend the best schools in Chicago. She said no." _He sat back down_ "She told me that she considered me a brother. A brother? Image that? She said that she could never completely love me and there was only one man that she loved. I'm guessing that's you. She never gave up on you and I don't think you should give up on her either." _He extended his hand to Steve and shook it._ "Let me know what happens?" _He simply turned and with his head bowed, he left the room.

Just as David left the room, Danny entered. _"Any word yet?"_ he asked as he handed Steve a cup of coffee.

"_No, this is taking way too long, something's wrong, I just know it"_ Steve was convinced

"_Can you just stop? Why do you always have to go there, why are you always so negative?"_ Danny yelled.

"_Are you fucking kidding me? Have you not been involved in my life? My life is one big disaster. Just when things are going great, BAM something happens to ruin it!" _He shouted back at Danny

They both realized that yelling at each other was not going to solve anything. Danny sat next to him and placed his hand on Steve's shoulder.

"_Listen, Kono is going to drop Johnny off at Kamekona's in the morning and she is going to see what she can get off of the laptop. Chin is already at Catherine's office over at STA Communications to see what he can find out. We are trying to see what Noshimuri has to do with all this." _

'_Thanks Danny"_ Steve said _"This is all my fault. I should have just stuck with my original plan and stayed out of her life for good."_

"_What are you talking about?"_ Danny was under the impression that he wanted nothing but to be a part of her life.

"_Remember back in 2011, when the 'shit hit the fan'?"_ Steve hinted

"_Well, yeh, it's hard to forget"_ Danny remarked

"_You see, the charges were dropped for me, but Cat still had to face consequences for helping me."_

"_I know, I testified in her behalf"_ Danny was wondering where this was leading to

"_I never told anyone this." _He paused wiping his face with his hand_ "She had 12 hours in between disembarking from the Enterprise and having to catch her transport to Jacksonville. I had never seen her so upset, so scared. It was all my fault. If I would have just stayed out of her life, if I would have dropped the vendetta, left her out of it, none of this would have happened. She never blamed me; she said that she did it willingly. She spent her whole life fighting for everything she had, and I took it all away from her. Right then, while I held her in my arms, while I made love to her, I made a decision to let her go." _Steve was almost in tears.

"_You did what?"_ Danny confused

"_I thought if I found someone else, I could get her out of my head. I never felt so strongly about anyone. I loved her enough to let her go. That's why I slept with Lori. We were working together, and one thing led to another, it was too easy. If there was someone else, it would be easier to break it off. We could both move on. I thought she would find a nice guy, give her the white picket fence and all. She deserved better. I was nothing but trouble, I was meant to be unhappy, but not her, she didn't deserve any of that. I never banked on her getting pregnant. I never expected her to show up and see…, the last thing I wanted to do was to hurt her."_ he stopped talking

"_So instead, you both spent the last six years completely miserable. Good plan, Einstein"_ he said sarcastically

"_I should have never approached her at the park. I should have left her alone. Noshimuri went after her because of me."_ The guilt was killing him

"_You don't know that. Did you ever stop to think that this might have something to do with her job? Noshimuri could be a coincidence. Perhaps the fact that you were there, actually saved her life?"_ Danny tried to reason with him.

"_What does Chin always say? Coincidences take a lot of planning"_ Steve just stared at him.

The doors opened and the doctor entered removing his surgical mask and hat. Steve and Danny leaped from their seats and approached him.

"_The surgery went well. She's definitely a fighter. We managed to repair the damage to her lung. There was a lot of internal bleeding, but other than a few broken ribs and a shattered forearm, there wasn't any other major damage. It appears that she will make a full recovery. You can see her if you like. I'll send the nurse in once she is settled in her room"_

"_Thank you doctor"_ Steve shook his hand

The doctor left the room, leaving Steve and Danny staring at each other.

"_I'm going to go and try to see what I can dig up on this Robert Noshimuri guy. I can't understand how we didn't know about him before."_ Danny was sure that there was something odd about this whole case.

They approached and hugged _"Thanks Danny, I don't know what I would do without you"_ Steve said to him as he sighed.

"_You're not going to get all mushy on me now, are you?"_ Danny smiled

They released the hug and laughed.

_**Sorry, I couldn't resist mentioning the new love interest Lori. Arg! I also wanted a way to explain Steve's actions without making him such a bad guy. Go team Catherine!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Jealous much?**_

_**Don't judge me on the technical stuff, I made it all up.**_

The room was dark except for a shadow of light that peered through the gaps in the blinds that covered the windows. The subtle sounds of the monitors created a symphony. Steve sat on a chair in the corner, sleeping. His elbow resting on the arm rest, his hand resting on his cheek, and his legs stretched on the foot of the bed. The past few days were an emotional rollercoaster. He knew that he loved her, he just didn't realize how much. The thought of her dying almost destroyed him and he couldn't believe that he was jealous of the close relationship that she had with David, just friends or not, it bothered him. The sound of rustling startled him causing him to leap from his seat.

"_Johnny, Johnny, Oh my God Johnny!"_ Shouted Catherine as she woke startled from a deep sleep.

"_He's fine, he's safe."_ Steve answered as he ran to her bedside

"_You found him. What happened? Where am I?"_ she was confused by her surroundings

"_You don't remember do you?"_ Steve paused, wondering how much he should tell her _"You had a collapsed lung, broken arm and a few cracked ribs, you had surgery…two days ago" _he grabbed her casted hand, holding her fingers tightly.

"_Two days? I've been out for two days?"_ her voice faded _"You've been here, with me for two days?"_

"_Well, you've been in and out of consciousness. I wasn't about to leave you here alone. So, this is a switch huh?" _he said with a smirk

"_What do you mean?"_ she asked

"_Usually you are the one sitting here and I am the one in the hospital bed. I guess it was my turn to rescue you" _He smiled

"_Beverly, what happened with Beverly? Is she ok?"_ she was afraid to ask "_Crazy old lady tried to fight them off, what was she thinking?"_

"_She was trying to protect you_." Steve answered

"_Well I don't need protecting, she should have stayed away_" Catherine was adamant

"_Obviously you do need protecting. Why is it so hard for you to understand that there are people who care about you? Care about you enough to risk their lives for you." _Steve tried to explain

"_I wish they wouldn't_" She looked him directly in his smoldering blue eyes _"How is she?"_

"_She's doing ok. She was touch and go for a little, but she is recovering and her son is here. She'll be fine." _Steve tried to reassure her

"_Which son, David?"_ she smiled

"_Yeh, David_" Steve answered with a squint in his eye

"_That's good, he'll take good care of her" _She looked around the room_ "Johnny's not here. Where has he been for the last two days?"_ she asked cautiously

"_He's been sleeping at Kono's and Kamekona has been keeping him busy during the day. I think he has sampled every flavor of shave ice ever made." _He smiled

"_You left him with an ex-con?"_ She questioned his judgment

"_He's perfectly safe with him, I promise"_ he tried to comfort her

"_Why isn't he with Danny?"_ she would have assumed Danny to be the logical choice

"_Danny's working your case day and night"_ he answered. He paused _"You scared me. You almost died in my arms, I thought I lost you for good"_he grabbed her other hand and leaned over to kiss her. His eyes were red and watering.

The door flew open and in stormed Danny. "_You're awake! Good, I have a few questions for you"_ He was all business as he approached the bedside and opened a file, removing a photo. _"Do you know this guy?" _he asked critically

"_It's nice to see you too Danny. I'm fine thank you" _She said with sarcasm

"_I'm sorry, I am glad that you're ok." _He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "_Now, the picture, do you know him?" _Back to business

"_That's Robert Nosh, my assistant. He's an intern at STAC. Why?"_ she was still a bit groggy

"_Robert Nosh is actually Robert Noshimuri, Hiro's son."_ he announced

"_Noshimuri? As in the man who killed your mother?"_ she turned to look at Steve _"That man has been in my house, he's picked up Johnny from school, more than once. Oh my God! I let a killer near my… our son. I got to get out of here."_ She tried to get out of the bed

"_You are not going anywhere."_ Steve gently pushed her back into the bed

"_This is the only picture that I could find of him as Noshimuri. I got it from Jenna at the CIA."_ Danny explained "_this guy has been completely off the grid. That's why we didn't know that he existed."_

"_How is that possible? I don't understand. They do full background checks on all employees. I mean, we work with the DOD and, I mean, I almost didn't pass the check myself" _she couldn't understand how this could happen

"_With the level of clearance you hand in Naval Intelligence, how could you not pass the background check?"_ Steve asked

She looked at Steve regretfully_ "Officially my discharge was honorable, unofficially; everyone in the right circles knew what happened. The only reason I got the job is because I'm one of the few people in the private sector that knows how to do it and because Andrew and I have a good relationship, he vouched for me personally."_

"_Who's Andrew?"_ asked Steve

Danny replied _"Andrew Reed, he's the CEO, he's flying in from DC as we speak. He was shocked and concerned about what happened to Catherine and is very willing to cooperate; too willing to cooperate if you ask me. Something is off with this guy. I should hear from him as soon as he arrives"_

"_I really don't think Andrew has anything to do with this. He is a great guy."_ Catherine stated

"_How could you be so sure? Are you sleeping with him too?"_ Steve snapped.

"_What? What are you talking about?"_ Catherine snapped back

"_First David Andiko and now your boss?"_ he snapped again in a jealous rage

She could not believe these words were coming from his mouth_. "First of all…I am not sleeping with either of them. Second…you have no right to judge me if I were. And third… you are the last person who should be criticizing. Or did you forget that you were the one caught fucking a coworker! Now get the hell out and leave me alone!"_ Her body was shaking and she was furious at his accusations.

Danny raised his hands "_Stop it both of you!"_ Danny shouted. _"Sit!"_ he pointed at Steve _"I have had enough of this shit from both of you. You"_ he pointed at Steve _"You fucked up. You cheated, you lied, and you took advantage of her, but you love her and I have spent the last six years listening to you whine like a baby over it." _He then pointed at Catherine _"and you"_ he said "_You had his baby and didn't tell him. You live what? Three miles away and never thought, gee I should maybe try to contact him? You keep saying that you love him but you keep putting up an ice wall whenever you're together"_ Danny's hands were going wild. "_If there were ever two people who deserve each other it's you two. Now stop fighting, kiss and make up, and let's go find the son of a bitch that did this!" _

Steve and Catherine said nothing. They were shocked at Danny's reaction and could clearly see that he had a point. After a few moments of silence Steve took the initiative and spoke first.

"_I am sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you"_ he whispered

"_I am sorry too. The past is the past."_ She whispered back

"_Good. Now doesn't that feel better?"_ said Danny "_Now, what do you know about this guy?"_

Steve stepped away from the bed and walked toward the window. Catherine couldn't look at him and focused on Danny instead.

"_Not much. He's a graduate student. He's been at STAC for less than a year. He's got a house in Diamondhead; the address is in my office. I assumed that he comes from a rich family. We get a lot of well- to- do grad students working for us. They're the only ones who can afford to go to grad school and not have a paying job. He seemed like a nice guy, about 25 years old"_ she was starting to get tired

"_Just one more question…What did they want from you?"_ Steve asked while still staring out the window

"_I am working on this sub contract for the DOD"_ she began

"_What's the DOD?"_ asked Danny

"_Department of Defense"_ Steve and Catherine answered simultaneously as Steve turned towards Danny

"_The DOD bought an old satellite drone from the Russians and sub contracted us to wipe it and transfer the data to them. In addition to live feeds, they usually store surveillance photos. They in turn, sell the wiped drone to us, and we lease it out to cell phone companies, TV stations, weather stations, whoever wants to pay for space. It's completely legit. We do it all the time"_ she explained _"These guys wanted me to re__r__oute the data to another IP address, instead of the DOD. There must be some kind of information stored on that particular drone that's important to these people."_

"_When you started wiping it, did you notice anything suspicious?"_ Steve asked avoiding eye contact.

"_No. It's all code. I wouldn't know if I did"_ she replied _"This drone was dated back to Desert Storm. The only thing that comes to mind would be that it somehow recorded the location of, hidden weapons or …"_ Steve and Catherine spoke at the same time "_money"_

"_Money?"_ Danny asked

"_There was a rumor that, during the war, millions were hidden in the desert. Soldiers would go rogue all the time searching for it. Gold, cash, art work. You don't think that this drone has pictures of the exact location? That would be worth billions now" _Steve had heard rumors of this, but for it to actually exist.

"_I don't know, but could you imagine the possibility?"_ Her eyes lit up.

"_I know what you are thinking and you know that even if we find out that's what it is, we can't exactly go looking for the money, right?" _Steve had to be the realistic one

"_Yeh, I know, but can't you guys just imagine the possibilities?"_ she smiled

Danny nodded his head; he could not believe how the conversation had turned. _These two are fucking crazy _he thought to himself.

"_I'm going to get Kono and Chin and see if we can find where he lives and hopefully there will be enough evidence to put him away. He can share a cell with his dad."_ Danny smiled.

"_Wait up, I want to be part of this"_ Steve stood next to Danny. He was looking for an excuse to leave.

"_Just don't pull a stunt like you did the other day. We had a lot of explaining to do"_ Danny lectured.

"_What did he do?"_ asked Catherine

"_Never mind_" Danny and Steve answered together.

_**I hope I didn't go overboard with the jealousy, but I picture Steve as the type that is a little protective, or should I say possessive. And I wanted to portray Catherine as stubborn and as someone who is used to doing things for herself.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Again thank you so much for the reviews and all the new alerts, you guys are the BEST! **_

Steve paced back and forth as he prepared to raid the home of Robert Noshimuri. Danny and Chin prepared the ops gear as Kono scanned the thermals.

"_There's no one in there boss_" confirmed Kono

"_Are you sure this is the right address?"_ Steve questioned Danny

"_Yes, I am sure. This is the address Catherine had in his file. Are we going in or what?"_ Danny was anxious

The address was in a high end neighborhood. It was the type of neighborhood where wealthy business men and celebrities had their island residence. Unfortunately for the residents, there was also an unscrupulous element that had residence there.

Chin and Steve took their position at the front door and Danny and Kono entered through the back. This was a precaution just in case. Chin kicked the door in triggering the alarm.

"_Clear!" _shouted Steve

"_Clear!"_ shouted Kono

"_Nobody's here, but look"_ announced Chin as he approached the dining table. There were three laptop computers displaying live feeds of Catherine's house and office. Steve approached and stared angrily at the displays on the computers. He noticed an envelope on the table and cautiously opened it. The envelope contained surveillance photos of Catherine and Johnny. They were photos taken from inside and outside of her home. They were photos of them doing everyday activities, playing, and pictures of them sleeping, and eating. There were pictures of Steve with Johnny, and a picture of Steve and Catherine kissing on the couch. There were pictures of Johnny in the tub and of Catherine in the shower.

"_The son of a bitch was watching them! Her house is bugged"_ said Steve with intense anger as he threw the photos on the table. He pocketed the naked photo of Catherine and the one of them kissing.

Danny picked up a file folder and showed it to Chin _"Look, this is a replicate file to the one that we found at the crime scene. This ties him to the kidnapping."_

Robert Noshimuri pulled into the driveway and slowly approached the house to investigate the alarm sounding. He cautiously peered in to see the Five-0's rummaging through his belongings. Quietly, he drew his gun, but quickly realized that he was out numbered. As he began to retreat, the floor creaked and each team member turned, drawing their guns. Robert ran. Steve took chase out the front door, Kono leaped from the porch balcony, while Chin and Danny took off out the back. Robert was trapped in the front yard, when suddenly a black Cadillac Escalade came roaring through the lawn firing shots and nearly running them down. The team leaped, taking cover wherever possible. They dodged behind trees and shrubbery as they fired their weapons. The man jumped into the car and they took off. The team fired at the Escalade in a futile attempt to stop it.

"_Damn, we let him get away_" Steve was pissed off.

"_I got a partial plate boss"_ announced Kono out of breath

"_Good job, run it, I want to know who is involved in all this. Obviously this guy is not working alone."_ Steve wanted answers

"_I agree, I think it's time we paid his daddy a little visit"_ suggested Danny

"_You're right!"_ Steve agreed _"Let's go_"

Steve and Danny sat at the visitor's area of the prison. Steve's body became tense and he had become very uncomfortable being there. His leg bounced as he waited for access. The site of the interior of the prison had brought back bad memories of his short time spent there. The week he spent incarcerated, had cost him years of nightmares. Nightmares he has not discussed with anyone. Hiro Noshimuri was escorted in and sat on the opposite side of the glass partition with a nasty grin covering his face. He was not surprised to see his adversary standing there.

"_To what do I owe this pleasure?"_ He said in a condescending tone

"_I think you know damn well why we are here!"_ Steve grabbed the phone, placing his face near the glass.

"_Enlighten me"_ responded a cool headed Hiro Noshimuri

"_Your son"_ Danny grabbed the phone out of Steve's hand and took over the questioning.

"_My son? I do not have an association with my son. He has been bitter over me choosing my nephew to continue my good work here in Hawaii, what has the idiot done now?"_ Noshimuri acted as if he was unaware of what had transpired.

"_So, you're telling me that you don't know anything about him kidnapping a woman and child, or stealing information from the Government?" _Danny asked suspiciously

"_A woman and child….I might have heard something about that…right….a woman and child….I'm afraid that I do not know anything more than what I have seen on TV. You see I have been locked away in here for the last 6 years 3 months and 27 days." _Noshimuri was very calm and monotone in his answer.

Steve grabbed the phone from Danny. _"Your son is dead! Do you hear me? And if I find out that you are also involved, then you are dead too!"_ he screamed into the phone, pointing his fingers at the glass.

"_Idol threats mean nothing, McGarrett. Actions speak louder." _Noshimuri was condescending in his tone.

"_Idol threats, idol threats?_" Steve raised the volume of his voice with each word _"ask Koji about idol threats, oh yeh, you can't, he's dead!"_ Steve reminded him of the fate of his brother.

"_You do what you need to do."_ Noshimuri was cold hearted.

Steve slammed the phone on the wall and signaled the guard to let him out.

Steve and Danny walked out of the prison, pausing against the silver Camaro that was parked outside. Steve ran his fingers through his hair and Danny stared at him trying to determine how to talk to him.

"_You need to calm down and be rational. Threatening an inmate? Really Steven, in a prison, where everything is recorded? If Robert or Hiro end up dead, guess who they're going to come looking for? And what the hell was that comment about Koji? You know…on second thought… don't answer that!" _Danny couldn't wait to tell him how stupid he was.

"_You're right"_ Steve responded in a cold monotone voice _"I'm sorry_"

"_And while we are on the topic of your stupidity…" _The interaction at the hospital had been bothering Danny all day "…_jealous rages against Catherine are not going to help you get her back, understand? Trust me this is something I know all too much about. OK?"_ Danny lectured, pointing his finger at Steve's chest while he spoke.

"_I understand what you're saying, but she just pushes my buttons._" He answered as he leaned against the car, running his fingers through his hair.

"_I can see that, but in case you haven't noticed, you've been pretty pushy yourself. I don't get it… You guys are hot and cold, fire and ice. One minute you're making out and the next you're fighting. I warned you to cool it a little and give her space. You said that she isn't used to having people care about her."_ Danny lectured

"_I know. It's just…I don't want to lose her again. She was so different when we were younger, she was so carefree and now she's so uptight" _Steve sounded confused

"_There's something that you both have in common" _Danny paused and looked Steve directly in the eyes _"Listen, you both have been through a lot. Maybe you've changed, maybe you shouldn't be together as a couple. Maybe you're both living in the past." _Danny was trying to get him to see things from a different perspective.

"_No, I refuse to believe that. We have a chance to be a family. I had a great childhood and I want Johnny to experience that. Cat didn't have a childhood, so she doesn't know what Johnny is missing"_ Steve was being stubborn

"_Listen to yourself; it's always about what you want. This can't work if you both don't agree. Have you actually sat down and had a conversation about the future? Or have you just tried to seduce her into getting what you want? Think about what I am telling you. This isn't a game. Whatever decision you guys make now will be Johnny's future and will determine his true legacy. " _Danny understood all too well what Steve was going through. He had gone through the same thing with Rachel, until coming to the conclusion that they were a better couple when they were apart.

"_I know what you are saying, but I want her. I want to be with her"_ Steve replied looking up at the sky.

"_Well, we can't always get what we want. Think about what is best for all you_." Danny hated playing the reality card, but someone had to.

They were interrupted by the ringing of Danny's phone. _"Hey Chin what's up?"_

"_I think we got a match for the plate on the car. You guys should come back to HQ." _Chin sounded concerned

"_We'll be right there"_ Danny responded _"Steve, they got something, let's go"_

Danny walked around to the passenger side of the car and got in. Steve turned and looked at the exterior of the prison, sighed, and got in the driver's side and drove off.

_**Who is helping Robert Noshimuri? Is Hiro involved? **_

_**Once again Danny is the voice of reason. Should Steve and Catherine remain a couple? Let's see what happens. **_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Mystery solved? Or not?**_

The original lead on the plates turned out to be a dead end. The team spent two days tracking the plates and breaking down one shell corporation after another. Finally getting to who was behind all this.

"_I don't believe it. It makes no sense at all_" Steve sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair

"_That asshole set her up_" Danny was disgusted

"_She is on her way in,_ _how do I tell her that someone she trusted betrayed her so bad_" Steve rubbed his face with his hand.

"_Betrayed who so bad_?" a tall blonde entered the doorway of Steve's office

"_What are you doing here?"_ Steve and Danny asked simultaneously.

"_Did you really think that you would be able to investigate Noshimuri, and the Governor wouldn't have me come and keep you guys in line?"_ she said with a smile _"Oh and threatening a prisoner, smooth move"_

"_Nobody's laughing_" responded Danny

"_Aw, come on guys it's been years, you can't still be mad at me for ratting on you. I told you, I was just doing my job"_ she said trying to look innocent

"_You played me_" Steve said _"you shouldn't be on this case"_

"_Oh, and like you didn't play me? At least we had fun playing with each other_" she answered back with a smirk

Steve was annoyed at her mere presence, but there was nothing he could do. The Governor had spent the last 6 years trying to look for an excuse to disband Five-0. Agent Wilson was a part of that. He had to accept her being there, even if the timing sucked. He knew that Catherine was coming to the office to go over the case. They were trying to be civil to each other, but tensions were still high. _If she sees Lori here, she's going to flip out, _Steve thought to himself.

"_So what have you got so far? I briefly reviewed the report and all I know that it was an abduction and assault, a woman and child. Noshimuri was the woman's assistant and the Defense Department is involved. Your little visit to the prison is why I was asked to assist. What I don't understand is why you were involved in this case in the first place. Abductions are HPD's jurisdiction."_ She obviously had no idea who that the victim was and how she was important to the team.

Chin had decided that he should start from the beginning and explain what they had discovered so far. _"come with me to the computer table" _he instructed

Kono, Danny, and Lori stood at the table as Chin explained _"We got a name from one of the abductors, Robert Noshimuri, which led us to his residence." _His fingers typed away as photos of the suspects appeared on the screens. "_As you probably figured out, Robert is the son of Hiro Noshimuri. We were able to apprehend him, only to be ambushed by an accomplice. We tracked the plates and were led through a barrage of shell corporations and holding companies, which then led us back to the CEO of the Company that the victim worked for, Andrew Reed" _Reed's picture now appeared._" It turns out that even though he ran the company, he doesn't know how to access the information that he and Noshimuri needed. According to the board of Directors for STAC, Reed was one bad deal away from being forced to resign." _Chin typed away now having Catherine's Driver's license photo appear on the screen._ "They knew that Miss Rollins, the victim, would not voluntarily give them the information, since she was under contract with the Department of Defense and had a military background. We are trying to pin point a location for Reed. We know that he arrived on the island and is more than likely hiding out. We don't know if Hiro Noshimuri is involved, but it looks like he isn't. We think that his son is trying to take over the family business, with some help from his friends."_

"_I still don't understand why you guys are involved in this. I mean I see the connection with Noshimuri, but that came up after the fact" _Lori was curious

"_The victim's son, is my son_" Steve answered as he stood in the doorway of his office

"_What?"_ Lori turned in surprise "_you never said that you had a son. According to the file, the child is 5 years old, which means he was born while we were together. You never said a word"_

"_We are not going to talk about this now" _Steve returned to his desk and closed the door.

Lori Wilson came barging into his office and sat on his desk "_You bet we are going to talk about this"_ she demanded

"_I didn't know that I had a son. She never told me until about 7 months ago."_ Steve explained

"_What a bitch_" said Lori

"_Hey, don't call her that. She had her reasons and it was partially my fault. We are trying to work things out, so I would appreciate it if you just kept your distance, OK?"_ Steve tried to reason with her.

"_Wait a minute, it's that Army chick right?" _She was suddenly upset_._

"_Navy" _Steve corrected

"_I knew you were never going to get over her. She trapped you. She had you hook, line and sinker, pardon the pun" _She was jealous

Steve just stared at her with no expression, tilting his head.

"_Ok, I am sorry. I hope the two of you, or should I say, three of you are very happy together"_ Lori approached him and gave him a hug.

_**Meanwhile:**_

Catherine entered the Five-O headquarters with her arm in a sling and a HPD officer by her side. _"Hey Kono, where's Steve?"_ she asked

"_He's in his office. I heard you were getting discharged today, how are you feeling?"_ Kono asked sincerely

"_Better, much better"_ Catherine responded "_Kono, thanks for taking good care of Johnny. He loved watching the videos of you surfing and now he's telling all his teachers that he wants to be a professional surfer like his Auntie Kono"_ she smiled

"_Auntie Kono? I like that_" Kono smiled

At that moment Catherine turned towards Steve's office, only to see him and Lori hugging. Catherine recognized agent Wilson immediately. Her smile turned to an instant frown

"_Kono, I was never here. Ok?_" she panicked, pleading with Kono to cover for her. "_Officer Decker, we need to leave now"_ she demanded

"_Lori"_ Steve gently pushed her off of him _"I' m not doing this, you are not going to play me again. If you insist on working this case, then you partner up with Chin. Otherwise I suggest that you recuse yourself" _

"_Snippy, aren't you? You used to be fun, I guess this chick has you whipped_" she was defensive

"_This chick's name is Catherine and yes, she's had me whipped since I met her. Is that what you want me to say? I love her, always had." _He sat in his chair and turned toward the lobby, when he caught a glimpse of Catherine running out of the building.

Steve jumped out of his seat in a panic _"Kono! Was that Cat?_" he shouted as he ran passed her

"_Boss!"_ Kono grabbed Steve's arm and stopped him "_Leave her alone. She saw you and Homeland Security girl over there and got very upset. I think you need to let her cool off"_ Kono was out of line, but she despised Lori Wilson and liked Catherine.

Agent Wilson had actually petitioned for Kono to lose her badge permanently following the incident with the Forfeiture locker. Fortunate for Kono, the Chief of Police felt differently and gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Steve stared at Kono, nodded his head, and threw his hands in the air as if he had given up. He returned to his office and asked Agent Wilson to leave his office.

"_You need to leave, now. Don't come back. Tell the Governor to assign someone else to this case."_

"_Is that how you really feel. I thought maybe we could pick up where we left off"_ she wasn't getting it.

"_Are you really that stupid? You don't get it, get out_." He shouted at her

"_Ok. I am sorry. I'll leave for now, but I am still on this case. That my friend, you have no choice in._" she left

Catherine ran from the elevator directly to the squad car that waited out front for her. Officer Decker was directly behind her, keeping his respectful distance, while still guarding her safety. She leaned against the vehicle, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and turned towards the building. She glared directly at the windows of the second floor offices, where Five-0 had their offices. Right there, right then, she had made a decision that would affect her future and that of her son's.

Steve sat in his office alone, his chair was turned, his back to his desk. He stared at the model of the Arizona that sat on a shelf behind his desk. The model was a representation to honor his grandfather. Rubbing his face and nodding his head, "_Is it my legacy to be alone?"_ He whispered, as if the grandfather that he never met could actually hear his plea.

_**Is this the last straw for Steve and Catherine?**_

_**I thought about doing a cat fight, but after watching the Tsunami episode this week, I decided that Catherine was too sweet and that it wasn't in her character.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Time for some sound advice from Mrs. Beverly**_

Catherine stood in the hallway of the Hospital, leaning against the wall just outside of Beverly's room. Most of the monitors were gone. _Her condition must be improving,_ Catherine thought to herself. Slowly she approached the bedside, careful not to wake her.

"_Dear, why are you here?"_ Beverly slowly opened her eyes as if she sensed that Catherine sat at her bedside

"_I am here to check on you_" she answered

"_No you aren't what happened?"_ Beverly could always tell when Catherine was hiding something.

"_I am actually looking for David_" Catherine responded

"_He went to get a bite to eat. Why are you looking for David?"_ Beverly knew that she was hiding something from her "_What is going on? Don't you know that I am a sick old lady, I can't wait all day for you to tell me?"_ She smiled

"_I've been thinking and everyone is right. Steve and I don't belong together. I don't belong on this island. It's time I start thinking about me, I am tired of being alone. I want to take David up on his offer. He's a good man, he'll treat us right. I think it's the best for everyone involved_" she answered sadly

"_His offer to marry you? Dear, listen to me. There is nothing that I would love more than to have you as a daughter in law, but that would be a big mistake. You don't love him and without love there is nothing worth living for. You are running away. Why? What has happened?" _Beverly held her hand and looked her straight in the eyes

Catherine leaned her head gently on Beverly's shoulder as she climbed into the bed with her._ "I went to the office to go over the case and he was with her, the woman that he cheated on me with years ago. He lied, he told me that it was over and that he hasn't seen her. He told me that he was not involved with anyone, yet he was holding her in his arms. I am not going through this again." _She began to cry as she clutched Beverly's torso.

"_Did you talk to him? Perhaps there is an explanation. I cannot possibly believe that he lied to you. He at least deserves a chance to explain. Go to him, talk to him, and see what he has to say_." She continued as she gently petted Catherine's hair_ "If it's true and he is involved with this woman, than you at least can come to sort of agreement. You have a son, who needs a father. Johnny has come to be very close to Steven, you cannot just run away and take him away from that."_ She was trying to reason with her.

"_I can't, I won't. I am done. I have dwelled on this relationship for 13 years. He says he loves me, he has been spending so much time with us and I was beginning to believe that we had a future together, a real chance. I know that I played hard to get, but I needed to be sure." _Her voice softened_ "We were starting to become intimate. He was spending more time at the house and not just to see Johnny. I was falling, falling harder; I didn't think it was possible" _She raised her voice showing her anger_. "I can't believe it. He did it to me again. I gave up the best years for him and what do I have to show for it? Nothing!"_ She was being unreasonable

"_You have Johnny to show for it. Listen, if you are sure that it's over, that there is no chance, you can come to Chicago and live with me. My sons are insisting that I go, we can go together. You have to be sure, completely sure. You do need to tell Steven that you are planning on leaving. You need to tell him why. Johnny is his son too. That you can't take back." _She paused, shifting her body to face Catherine directly_ "Most importantly, before you make any irrational decisions, you need to ask yourself one question. Are you in love with Steven?"_ Beverly insisted

Catherine understood exactly what Beverly was talking about. She had spent so much time trying to avoid him, pushing him away, that she didn't know how she really felt. Was she in love with the idea of having a family for the first time in her life or was she really in love with him? Was she living in the past, dwelling on old feelings? Was she living out a fantasy that she conjured up in her mind? She thought back to when she first met him. She always thought of it as love at first sight, but was it or was it lust, was it the adrenaline rush from the mission? She had her doubts. She was warned that he was a player, but she thought it was different with her. She was entrapped in deep thought. She paced the hospital room, as Beverly watched her. She was sure that he cared about her. The more she thought about it, the more she knew that she did love him. She loved all of him. She loved that young up and coming officer she met that one faithful night aboard the Enterprise. She loved the charming adventurous guy who was born without a fear gene. He taught her how to have fun and showed her places she would have never dreamed of. She loved the sensitive boy who wasn't afraid to cry in her arms at night as he watched his life implode before his eyes. She thought long and hard as she looked out of the hospital room window.

"_I do love him, all of him"_ she declared

'_Well then, I strongly suggest that you fight for him_" Beverly suggested

Catherine approached Beverly's bedside_ "I am so tired of fighting. Besides, don't they say, if you love something, set it free"_ she quoted

"_I know that if I love something, I hold on for dear life and make sure that I never let go" _Beverly smiled as she grabbed Catherine's hand and held it tightly.

Catherine nodded her head in agreement_ "Thank you! I love you!"_ she kissed Beverly on the cheek and ran out of the door.

_**My grandmother always said that if you love something you should fight hard for it. She always felt that famous quote "If you love something set it free, if it comes back it's yours, if not, it never was"; was the biggest "BS" that she ever heard. She always said that "if you let it go it will just fly away and find somewhere else to land." **_


	16. Chapter 16

"_**To be a couple or not to be…"**_

_**You might want to get some tissues.**_

The waves crashed along the shore as the sun began to set. Steve sat on one of the old worn chairs and slowly sipped the beer that he had been nursing for hours. The beer was warm, but somehow he didn't notice. He was lost in thought. Johnny had asked to go to Kamekona's after school. He had said something about working on a new flavor of Shave Ice. Normally he would have said no, but he needed the time to reflect and he had no idea where Catherine was. He knew she was upset and he wondered if he had lost any chance of them being together. His phone rang.

"_McGarrett_" he answered." _Hey Shave Ice, what's up?"_ he asked

"_Hey Bro, Miss Catherine never came to get mini-McG, so what do you want me to do with the little man?"_ Kamekona asked

"_Oh, um, can you watch him tonight? Something came up. If she doesn't show up do you mind him sleeping at your place? I need your help on this bro."_ Steve was reluctant, but he trusted him with his life.

"_Of course, bro, I hope everything is ok. I'll call you in the morning_" Kamekona realized that something was bothering him and was more than willing to help. He hung up.

Steve covered his face with his hands as he sat staring at the ocean. He threw the empty beer bottle like a quarterback throws a football. The difference is that there was no one to catch it. "_How do I always manage to screw things up?"_ He shouted at the top of his lungs, thinking that he was alone.

"_I don't know but you are getting really good at it" _Catherine responded

Startled, he turned his head to find her standing behind him.

"_Catherine. I am so glad you're here. We need to talk_" He jumped out of the chair and grabbed her by the shoulders.

She immediately shrugged him off and sat on the opposite chair. "_What did you find out about my case?"_ she asked avoiding any other topic

Steve sat back down and responded with a deep raspy voice "_Well, we think we know who is behind all this and why. You're not going to be happy about it."_

"_So what else is new?" _She braced herself_ "So who is it?"_ she asked

"_Andrew Reed_" he answered waiting for a reaction

"_Andrew? Oh my God, are you fucking kidding? God, can things get any worse?"_ she got up and walked towards the water.

Steve got up from his chair and approached her. She was crying. He gently put his arms around her and held her tightly in his arms.

"_Why do people keep doing this to me? I don't understand. I'm a good person, and yet everyone I trust, betrays me." _She was hysterical_ "Why? Why would he hurt me? Why would he hurt Johnny?"_

Steve slowly released his grip on her and backed away. "_According to the Department of Defense, the drone you were scrubbing showed the whereabouts of the private weapon stash of the rebel militia. We think, Reed and Noshimuri planned on retrieving the weapons and selling them on the black market. We think that they are linked to a terrorist group in the region. There were so many weapons that they would have put Hiro out of business. Junior was trying to push Daddy out of business and Reed was on the verge of being ousted by the board of directors of STAC, he was planning for his retirement." _Steve explained

"_So the only reason that he pushed my security clearance through was because nobody else had the know how to get the information"_ she continued "_He used me. I should have known. I had been working there for years and suddenly I get a promotion and get the assignment that everyone else wanted."_

"_And because Noshimuri knew that you were connected to me… killing two birds"_ he added

"_He pretended to be my friend"_ tears fell from her eyes. She covered her face as she sat on the sand

Steve sat beside her. _"I am so sorry, but we're going to get him and he'll pay for what he did"_ he promised her

She paused and turned to look him straight in the eyes.

"_What about you? Why did you… betray me, again? I saw you today. You didn't have to lie. You could have just told me that you had a girlfriend. I expected you to have a life; I didn't expect you to be alone forever. You led me on. You made me think that we had a chance. I know that I pushed you away, but I thought things were changing." _She asked as she looked in his eyes

"_She's the Governor's watchdog. Yes, we had a history, but she's just here working the case. I asked her to leave, I haven't seen her in years and I don't want to."_ Steve felt guilty

"_I saw you holding her_" she stated

"_No, she hugged me. What you didn't see is that I pushed her away. I told her that I love you"_ he emphasized the word _you_ and waited for a response.

Catherine did not say a word. She looked at the ocean, watching each wave as it formed and then dissolve against the shore. Steve watched her facial expressions and wondered what she was thinking

"_How did we end up here? Things were so easy when we were out there"_ she said as she nodded towards the water in front of her

"_What sitting together on my beach?"_ He smiled a regretful smile. He knew what she meant. "_Maybe this is where we were supposed to be all along."_ He stated

She laughed "_If you didn't see me at the park that day, we would have just moved on with our lives. We both did pretty well by ourselves. We weren't meant to be together."_

"_I don't believe that. I think it's the opposite."_ He grabbed her hand.

"_I know that I'm supposed to fight for you, but I'm tired of fighting. I'm leaving the islands. I think it's time we move on, I mean really move on."_

Steve looked at her in shock

She continued_ "I'll make sure that you get to see Johnny. I'll send him when there's no school and you can visit whenever you want." _She tried to reassure him. She could see that he was distraught_. "I don't hate you, but I realized that if we didn't have Johnny, we probably would never consider rekindling this relationship. I loved you, but you, you just found me convenient. What do they call it? Friends with benefits"_ she was accepting what she thought was reality.

Steve tried desperately to stay calm and keep his cool. "_Is that what you really think? Is that how you really feel? I never considered us just friends. I always wanted more for us. I knew that you were special the very first time I met you."_

"_I saved your life, that why" _she interjected_._

"_You saved my life more than you know. There were times that I thought I was going to die. The thought of never seeing you again made me fight to stay alive. You are why I am so good at what I do, you." _He pleaded for her to understand _"When you died in my arms, I thought my life was over. I couldn't believe that I finally got you back and you were snatched right out from under me." _His eyes were red and tear filled.

"_I don't know what you want me to say"_ She bit the corner of her lip and grabbing his face with her hands began to speak_ "I am so sorry! I know that it was so wrong to keep your son away from you. I was so mad at you, I wanted to punish you. I couldn't understand why you cheated on me. I wanted to keep him all to myself. I tried to forget you, but he started to ask about why he didn't have a father like the other kids. He was part of you, and damn it if he didn't look exactly like you. I created this fantasy and I actually started to believe it myself. I wanted to tell you, I drove by your house so many times and chickened out. I was afraid that you wouldn't want me, wouldn't want him, wouldn't want us." _Her face was covered in tears_._

He paused as a thought crossed his mind_ "Stay here, I'll be right back_" he got up and ran inside the house.

He swiftly ran up the stairs, two steps at a time. He ran to an armoire that stood in the hallway. He opened the doors and threw everything off the shelf until he came to a wooden box. The box was made out of bamboo with a hand carved orchid on the cover. His father had acquired it in Vietnam during the war. It was a gift for his young wife. He stared at the box for a moment and opened it. The box contained photos of his mother and some jewelry that belonged to her. Beneath that was a small black velvet box. He opened the box and smiled. Swiftly he ran back down the stairs and out to the beach.

He hesitated as he approached her and stretched out his arm_ "Open this_" he demanded as he handed her the box

She stared at the velvet box and said "_No_" It was obviously a ring box

"_Please. I have a story to tell you_" he pleaded

She opened the box, revealing a ring. It was a simple 3/4 caret diamond solitaire on a gold band. He sat on the sand, facing her directly. Her big brown eyes stared directly into his smoldering blue eyes.

"_Don't talk, listen. When I was in Korea, just before I had to transport Anton Hess to Guantanamo, I had the chance to speak to my Father. I told him that I had been seeing the greatest girl and I wanted to marry her. I told him all about you. He was so thrilled that you were Navy."_

"_Steve, stop please_" she wasn't sure she wanted to hear this

"_Listen, please. He said that he would love it if I gave you my mom's ring. I know that you deserved a bigger diamond, but I also knew that you would appreciate that it was my mom's. I accepted and asked him if he could have it engraved for me and that once I was at Gitmo, I would call him and tell him where to send it to me. I was supposed to receive my new orders, once I delivered Hess. He was so happy and he couldn't wait to meet you"_ He paused and took a deep breath "_He was killed the next day"_

"_Oh Steve_" Catherine felt so bad for him

He continued "_When I came home for his funeral, I found the ring on his desk. It was already engraved. He must have done it that same day. Here, look"_ he removed the ring from the box and handed it to her.

She turned the ring over, reading the inside of the band:_** Catherine, you are my lifesaver, Steven **_

He took the ring from her and gently grabbed her casted left hand. He placed the ring on her finger. _"No pressure. It's yours, it always has been. It can mean whatever you want it to. Do whatever you want with it; just don't get rid of it. If you don't want it, save it for Johnny."_

She stared at the ring on her finger and bit her lip. This was a nervous habit that she couldn't shake. _"Why didn't you give it to me then?"_ she asked "_Things could have been so different_" she desperately tried to fight back the few tears were left in her eyes.

"_There were so many times that I thought about giving it to you. Every time you were here. It never felt like the right time. One of us was always running off, following someone's orders. Then things started to go downhill; I didn't want to pull you down with me. I guess that sort of happened anyway. I was stupid, I know. I wanted you to find someone better. Someone who could give you everything you deserve, someone safe."_ He looked down while he played with the sand, running it through his fingers.

They sat for a few minutes. He played with the sand and she watched the waves.

They occasional looked at each other, waiting for one of them to say something.

"_I want it."_ She declared as she turned and looked at him "_The whole package. You, me, Johnny, the white picket fence, the whole nine yards. I don't want to waste any more time"_ she was sure.

He smiled_ "I guess I'll have to start building that fence first thing tomorrow"_

She laughed at his sarcasm as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.

They kissed and held each other tightly, as the waves crashed before them and the sun set behind them.

_**It isn't over yet….There is still a criminal to catch.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**The kick ass Steve we love is back!**_

The sun barely peered through the curtains on the window when the quiet of the morning was disrupted by the vibrating sound of the cell phone on the dresser. Steve quietly rose from the bed and retrieved the phone as he answered in a whisper.

"_Danny, what do you want? Its 6am_." Steve asked as he snuck into the bathroom

"_We got an address where we think Reed and Noshimuri are hiding. You're gonna love this, it's the same safe house that Wo Fat used back in 2011, idiots." _Said Danny

Steve whispered "_No way, really? So Wo Fat is somehow involved." _he got dressed as he spoke

"_Well, we don't know for sure, but why are you whispering?_" Danny asked

"_Cat's sleeping, I don't want to wake her_" he replied shyly

"_Oh, so you got some Barry White last night? Way to go, taking it slow" _Danny teased

"_No I didn't, she just had surgery, but I'm working on it"_ he laughed

"_Well, I am on my way to get you, so be ready, we have some big fish to fry today"_ Danny was ready for the take down and to close this case once and for all.

The bed sheets rustled and Catherine sat up, looking for Steve.

"_Steve, are you still here?"_ she asked softly

"_Yeh"_ he peered out of the bathroom, as he brushed his teeth.

"_Who was that so early in the morning? Johnny's ok isn't he?"_ she asked as she sat up and attempted to fix her hair

"_I am sure that Johnny's fine. It was Danny; we got a hot lead on your case. If all goes well, this case will be closed this morning_" he answered as he approached her while pulling up his pants.

"_Be careful, ok" _she said as she placed her hand on his cheek

"_I will_" he kissed her on her lips as he held her face in his hands

_**Beep! Beep! **_

"_That must be Danny, I gotta go, Love you!"_ he grabbed his gun from the dresser drawer and ran down the stairs.

"_Love you too"_ she whispered as he was already out of ear shot.

"_So tell me, are you smiling because we are about to kick some serious ass, or because you are for once actually happy?" _Danny questioned as they drove to the safe house

"_I gave her the ring yesterday"_ Steve said as he prepared his gun

"_Your mother's ring? The one I told you to give her, oh I don't know, 6 years ago?"_ Danny had that I- told- you- so attitude

"_Yes, Danny. Why can't you just be happy for me without being so smug about it?" _Steve questioned

"_I am. Congrats bro"_ Danny smiled _"I'm assuming that you guys talked things over. I'll be honest, after what happened at the hospital and then at the office yesterday; I thought that you were never going to see her again. Oh… and I am the best man right?"_

"_Focus on this case and we'll worry about that later. Besides you keep reminding me that you are the only friend I have" _Steve laughed

The mood immediately changed as they pulled up to the safe house. SWAT, HPD, FBI, Agent Wilson, Kono and Chin where all there planning a strategy.

"_Nice of you to finally join us_" snarked Lori "_we didn't interrupt your beauty sleep, did we?" _She was mad at Steve for rejecting her and did nothing to hide it.

He ignored her. Steve directed instructions to the agents and officer's involved, as they put on their vests. Each person took their positions, surrounding the home. SWAT prepared to bust open the door. "_Now be careful, last time we raided this place it was booby trapped_" he announced over the ear piece.

They busted the door without incident and scattered throughout the house. Reed was asleep and caught by surprise, surrendering immediately and without incident.

Steve cautiously made his way to the second floor of the house, when without warning was struck from behind by a kick to the back of the head. He fell to the ground, swinging his leg around knocking the man to the floor. Both men recovered and jumped to their feet. They exchanged punches and kicks. The man was an equal adversary to Steve but was 20 years younger. It was Robert Noshimuri. The fight went on for quite a while; Steve struggled to keep up, when suddenly a shot was fired into the ceiling. Both men stopped.

"_McGarrett, it has been a long time_" The gun shot was fired by Wo Fat

"_Wo Fat. You will never get out of here alive. The place is surrounded."_ Steve could not believe that he was face to face with this man again.

"_I am aware of that. I am also aware that I can easily take you with me. You have to admit, McGarrett, this has been quite a fun ride."_ The officers and agents carefully began to surround the two men with guns drawn. Noshimuri stood next to Wo Fat with his gun also aimed at Steve _"Last week was the icing on the cake. Your son is a very handsome young man, it's a shame that he will grow up without a father. And your woman, Miss Rollins, so young and beautiful to be a widow, but I am sure that she will find someone to replace you. After all, you haven't been very available to either of them have you?"_ Wo Fat was arrogant.

"_You're a dead man!" _Steve shouted

Wo Fat smiled, raised his gun and in a split second a barrage of bullets rang out, leaving both Noshimuri and Wo Fat dead. Steve clutched his chest as he fell to the ground.

"_Steve!"_ Danny, Chin and Kono all ran to his side

"_I'm ok, my vest_" He strained to speak. The pressure of the gun shot knocked his breath away, but the vest has saved his life. He carefully stood up with Danny and Chin's help.

"_Wo Fat dead?"_ he asked hopefully and out of breath

"_Yeh, it's over. All these years and it's finally over_" Danny nodded as he clutched Steve's arm.

The crime scene was a buzz. Police and CSI had taped off most of the area. A crowd gathered behind the barricades. News cameras and reporters gathered.

Steve sat in the back of the ambulance as the medics removed his vest and shirt, checking him for any wounds. "_I'm fine, just a few bruises_" he insisted. His body was bruised and there were cuts and blood coming from his face and head.

"_You have a gun, use it. You're not a kid anymore, what were you thinking doing hand to hand with a 25 year old" _Danny lectured

"_He surprised me, Danny, I didn't have a chance to use my gun_" He felt the need to explain.

As Steve and Danny bickered, two bodies wrapped in body bags crossed their paths on the way to the Coroner's van. Steve stopped the gurney as it passed and unzipped one of the bags. He stared at Wo Fat's lifeless body and zipped the bag back up. His heart was racing; he couldn't believe that this man was actually dead. He waited years for this moment, but was void of emotion at the site of his body. He had expected to feel happy that he was dead, but he didn't, he felt nothing.

Two FBI agents, along with Lori Wilson came outside with Reed in handcuffs. Steve stopped them and grabbed Reed's arm, placing his face close to his. "_What did Wo Fat have to do with this?"_

"_He was our buyer. When Robert told him you were involved, he couldn't wait to get in on the deal." _He hesitated_ "I never meant for it to go this far. If Miss Rollins would have just done what we wanted, no one would have had to get hurt."_

Lori Wilson grabbed the prisoner and pulled him away from Steve, forcing him into the squad car.

Lori turned to Steve_ "The Governor is going to be expecting your report by the end of the day." _She looked at him sincerely _"I am glad that you're ok_" she got into the passenger side of the squad car and drove off.

_**Case solved and now we come to the conclusion. The final chapter will be up soon.**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Words cannot express how grateful I am for all the reviews and alerts and reads for this. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!**_

_**Well here it is, the final Chapter. I hope you like it.**_

Catherine pulled up to the empty parking lot at Five-0 headquarters. It was 7:30 pm and the area was deserted. She cautiously removed Johnny from the car and proceeded to enter the building. There was a sole security guard at the door checking ID of those who entered. She showed her license and reiterated that she was expected. The lobby was dark and empty. The only light was coming from the emergency backup lights and the exit signs. She climbed the stairs holding Johnny's hand and was paranoid of the silence that enveloped the cavernous room. She approached the suite of offices marked _Five-0_ and entered through the double glass doors. There was a sole desk lamp on and a shadow of a man sitting at the desk in Steve's office. She approached cautiously until she realized it was him.

"_I got your message" _she smiled at him

He looked up from the mountain of paperwork and smiled back as Johnny ran to him.

"_What the hell happened to you? Your face looks worse than mine"_ she reacted to his injuries.

"_It looks worse than it feels_" he commented

"_I hate to see what the other guy looks like_" Catherine commented

Steve got up from his chair and guided Catherine out of the office closing the door so that Johnny could not hear what was said.

"_The other guy is dead. Robert Noshimuri is dead and Andrew Reed is in custody."_

Catherine wasn't sure how to react. These were people who she trusted and they had betrayed her. Her emotions were mixed.

"_There's one more thing…Wo Fat was there…he's dead too"_

"_Wo Fat? THE Wo Fat? Oh my God! He's dead? Are you sure?"_ she was shocked

"_I'm sure; I saw his dead body with my own eyes. He was the buyer_" Steve was emotionless when he commented

"_It's over. All these years and it's over. How do you feel?_" She bit her lip as she asked

"_Numb. Relieved. I have spent the last 7 years chasing this guy and for the first time I can go to sleep and wake up and not worry about him hurting the people that I care about"_ he shook his head in awe.

They both stood in silence for a few moments trying to absorb the results of the day.

"_There is one more thing that I want to talk to you about. Listen, I've been thinking"_

"_Don't hurt yourself"_ She said sarcastically

"_I am trying to be serious here." _He hated to admit it, but he loved her sarcastic remarks_. "I spent the last 7 years wasted on Wo Fat, when I should have been with you. I missed the first 5 years of Johnny's life; I don't want to waste any more time. I spoke to the Governor and he is waiting for us upstairs" _he waited for a response

"_Spoke to the Governor about what_?" she asked

"_He said he can marry us right now. If that's what you want? Why wait, what would be the point? I almost lost you and I could have died today, I don't want to put it off anymore" _He pleaded

"_Did Steve McGarrett just admit that he's mortal? I never thought that I would ever see this day." _She said sarcastically

"_You didn't answer my question. Do you want to get married right now?" _he asked again with a smile.

"_Seriously, right now?"_ she answered as she looked at what they were each wearing.

She wore tan Capri pants, a purple off the shoulder top, and brown sandals. Steve was in his usual grey cargo pants, blue t shirt, and army boots. They were both battered and bruised.

"_What, you want a big wedding with the puffy white dress?_" he knew that was not her style.

"_No, this is perfect!"_ she smiled

Steve grabbed her and pulled her in his arms as he kissed her.

"_Can I have a hug too?"_ a little voice asked as the glass door opened

"_Of course"_ Steve grabbed Johnny, picked him up and squeezed him between them

"_Hey buddy, want to be my best man? Mommy and Daddy are getting married tonight" _he put him down and spoke directly to him.

"_Like a real family?"_ he asked innocently

"_Yeh, like a real family_" Steve replied

The three of them held hands as they walked up the stairs to the Governor's office. They opened the door to find Danny, Chin, Kono, Kamekona and Beverly all sitting in the lobby of the Governor's office.

"_You didn't think that we were going to let you guys do this alone, did you_?" Danny remarked

Kono handed Catherine a bouquet of flowers as Catherine stared at her with gratitude _"What? You need a bouquet, don't you?" _Kono replied

"_But how did you guys know?"_ Steve questioned

The Governor walked out of his office and answered the question himself "_I told them. I know that you don't like me, but you've done a great job today and well, always. When you approached me earlier, I took the liberty of calling your team. I thought that you would want them here"_

Catherine was overwhelmed with emotion. She looked around the room and smiled. She kneeled down to Johnny's level "_You see honey, these people, this is your family. This is what a real family looks like. These are the people that are going to help you build your own legacy"_ For the first time in her life she felt that she had a family, she felt that she belonged.

Steve and Catherine, with Johnny between them, held hands as they stood before the Governor. Danny, Chin and Kamekona were at Steve's side and Kono helped Beverly, as they stood at Catherine's side. They smiled at each other as the Governor made his speech.

The Governor smiled and continued "_Do you Catherine Elizabeth take Steven John to be your lawfully wedded husband?_"

She paused "_I do_" she smiled

"_Do you Steven John take Catherine Elizabeth to be your lawfully wedded wife?"_

"_I definitely, absolutely, do" _he answered

The Governor laughed as he continued "_so therefore, by the power vested in me, by the great State of Hawaii, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride"_

Steve grabbed Catherine and kissed her as their friends approached and congratulated them.

"_This deserves a celebration. Shave Ice for everyone on de house! You too Governor. Come to Wailoa and we party all night!"_ announced Kamekona

"_Shave ice? Really?"_ Danny laughed

"_I can't think of a better way to end this day."_ Steve smiled as he looked at Catherine.

"_I couldn't agree more_" she smiled back as they wrapped their arms around each other.

And they lived happily ever after.

**The End**

_**Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I can't wait for season two and hopefully we will get more Steve and Catherine. (Though I have my doubts) Go Team Catherine! Are you listening Peter Lenkov!**_

_**I've also posted a new story called Undercover. This is a little different from what I usually write. I was challenged to do something a little darker and grittier. Check it out.**_


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